Maybe next time
by Night's Wish
Summary: Maybe next time… Those words had haunted her. And he had left again, for who knew how long. Sure, she understood that he needed to do this alone, but still... she wanted to go with him on his journey. To help him. But she stayed home in Konoha. Until he came back. To take her with him. A Sasusaku story about their travels together. Rated M...you know what that means...
1. Chapter 1

_Maybe next time..._

_**Hello dear readers. I know it's been a while since I last posted a fanfic and I am truly disappointed in myself, but life has been hectic, with me moving to a different city for university. But now that I am settled I hope I will return better than before.**_

_**This will be my first multi-chapter story, and I hope I will pull through and not disappoint anyone. **_

_**Recently I started and finished Naruto and couldn't help but be in love with Sasusaku. Thank goodness it was already canon when I started watching the anime, so I knew that in the end they would be together. I can't imagine the worry of all the Sasusaku fans before they announced they were official. It must have been hard.**_

_**Still, all is well now even though it took them this long to get where they are. **_

_**This will be a fanfic about their travels together. I hope that it turns out good.**_

_Chapter 1_

Maybe next time…

Those words had haunted her. And he had left. Again. For who knew how long. And again…he had left her behind. To endlessly await his return. There was no other option for her and she knew it.

Sure, on some level she understood that he needed to do this alone, but still... She wanted to go with him. On his journey. To help him.

But she stayed back in Konoha.

She didn't have any complaints about her life, it was actually pretty great. She had founded the Children Mental hospital to help the orphans after the war and she was proud of that. Now that lady Tsunade had departed - to another gambling expedition for sure- she was the top medical ninja in the village. She was practically running the hospital herself. Which is how she got in this situation...

He was standing in front of her , mostly lying actually, on the medical bed in her office.

2 years and 3 months had passed since he left and he came back just 2 days ago, wounded, with a big slash down his torso. It wasn't really difficult to heal it, in two sessions he was practically as good as new.

The amount of fatigue that had piled up all this time, combined with a concussion he had recently received, was a different matter though.

He had been practically passed out for a day and a half. The look of surprise on his face when he woke up and noticed that the wound was gone was -even though most people wouldn't had noticed it- priceless to Sakura. He really did try to hide it but she knew him too well.

While he was under, she had started to heal his head from exhaustion. Even though he had taken his brother's eyes and supposedly there was no limit to their use, she could feel a disturbance in the flow of chakra. It felt like, as soon as his body produced it, he would use it. That, being done constantly over an excessive amount of time, was bound to cause some internal trauma. In this case to his head. She wondered how many times he had gotten a concussion during the time he was gone.

In the condition his head was in, it would take some time to get it to how it was supposed to be. A week at least.

And even though she couldn't admit it out loud, she was happy he would stay in Konoha, even for a little while. 

She noticed him stirring.  
He started getting up.

As soon as his head lifted from the bed she swept in and gently pushed him back down. He scowled.

"Sakura" his voice held a threatening tone "Let me go"

" Absolutely not Sasuke-kun."

His scowl grew into a pout. He knew he couldn't surpass her power. She almost giggled at his expression.

" You are not well Sasuke-kun. You may not admit it but I know you must be feeling light headed. You have been feeling like that for a while now. Tell me I am wrong..." she said expectedly.

He kept glaring, though it held no malice. The silence was all the confirmation that she needed.

He sighed. " How long?"

Her face fell. He wanted to leave. She was happy to have him near her, even in the current circumstances, and he couldn't wait to go away again.

" A week. At the very least."

He was silent and she knew he wouldn't try to escape again. She reluctantly removed her hand from his shoulder.

He made eye contact, as if asking her about it.

"You over exhausted your eyes and chakra flow."

" But..."

" Even though you have his eyes you know you should be more cautious. You have, time and again, exhausted your chakra completely and damaged your head. You should rest from time to time Sasuke-kun."

He hated the look she was giving him, it reminded him of his mother. It held love and a bit of disappointment for his actions in it. Yet part of him was secretly happy someone still cared so unconditionally for him. Team 7 was the only family he had left and he was constantly faced with that fact.

He had spent a lot of time alone in the darkness. And even though he was seeking redemption, he still felt a bit of the darkness inside, his previous self. That's why he kept pushing himself constantly over the limits. To beat the past darkness completely. But how could he relate that to her?

"Can I-"

"Yes you can. I am sure you must be stiff after being still for so long"

"Ah." He remained silent for a moment. "How l-"

"About a day and a half."

He didn't know what else to say. She apparently knew him well enough to know what he was thinking, and that shocked him. They had a past, they practically grew up together, him, her and the dobe. And knowing that loser, it wouldn't be long before he-

"TEME!" The door burst open. " You're back!"

Sakura giggled as Naruto lunged himself at the still lying Sasuke, hugging him in a way that obviously had him annoyed. When Naruto got up, he lightly punched his arm, enough that it hurt though.

"What's wrong with you! You leave without even a proper goodbye and stay without contact for so long. We were worried about you, ya know. And now you show up so wounded that Sakura-chan had to be at your side constantly for two days!" Naruto yelled without thinking. Sakura blushed and looked at the floor.

Sasuke slowly got up and faced her.

"Arigato, Sakura" he said in a calm manner.

That was one of the main differences between her two comrades. The one was unbelievably loud and acted without thinking and the other was so reserved, sometimes it was hard to draw an emotion out of him. Complete opposites and yet they shared so much.

She thought she detected a tiny smile but it was the intensity of his gaze that had her blushing even more.

"Well. I think we should go for dinner together, ya know. Have a Team 7 reunion. And I won't take no for an answer!"

Sasuke abruptly turned his head and glared at him but his gaze held no anger.

"Don't look at me like that Teme! It's a great idea and you know it! That way we can get to know how our lives are now! It's been sooo long since we last saw each other, ya know." Naruto whined.

Sasuke found Sakura looking at him with longing. He could tell she would like that as well. To know about his journey.

"Fine." He huffed and Sakura giggled as he muttered_ Usuratonkachi_ under his breath.

"Ok, but Naruto you have to leave so I can bandage Sasuke-kun."

"Sure thing Sakura-chan! Just don't take too long." Naruto grinned that signature smile of his and ran out the door.

Sasuke sat back down on the bed and watched curiously as Sakura was looking anywhere but him. It was almost funny seeing her avert her gaze but he didn't know why. Only then he realized that he was half naked with only a few bandages covering his chest.

But still, she had seen him topless before. They had been teenagers then though. But why was she getting so flustered now...they were friends, weren't they? There should be some comfort between them, not nervousness...

Without realizing he activated his Sharingan as he watched her triple check all the medical supplies she would need before finally approaching him.

She traced the lines of the bandages he was currently wearing with her fingers, trying to find the edge. He shivered. Her touch felt electric on his skin. Quickly she removed her hands.

"Sorry Sasuke-kun, did I hurt you?"

"No."

"Oh but I thought that-" she stopped herself when she saw the look he was giving her. It was so intense that she swallowed the rest of her words. The intricate patterns of the Sharingan never ceased to amaze her. But she couldn't decipher it's meaning.

She had never seen that look in his eyes before. But then again, they hadn't been in a situation quite like this one before. Sure, she had seen him shirtless, heck, even one of his fighting outfits was practically shirtless, back when he could grow wings. Those were dark days for him, although she couldn't deny he had looked good in that outfit.

But it wasn't the same. Now they were close, at least when it came to distance. She could actually touch him. She had touched him. And he, himself wasn't the same, both on the inside and outside. Now he was reformed, seeking redemption for his past deeds. He was good, a bit rough around the edges but good.

And don't get her started on the outside changes. What she had seen was a boy, while, before her, now stood a grown man. He was 20 now, just like her. His hair had gotten longer, she noted, and his bangs now covered his left eye completely. It suited him. And she understood why he did it, it must have been hard having to see an eye that wasn't yours every time you saw your reflection, plus that way he effectively hid it from potential enemies. His body was bigger than she remembered, his muscles more evident as he was breathing, but it wasn't excessive. He was still lean and smooth.

She approached again to unwrap the old bandages, this time she bared his broad chest completely. She focused on the wound. It was almost gone. She laid her palms on his torso and they began glowing green as her chakra healed him.

He sighed. Her touch had always felt good. Like life flowing through him. He could feel his body being refreshed as a surge of energy passed through him. He shivered again but she didn't pull away this time.

He didn't know for how long she had been healing him, but he immediately took notice when she finished because her hands left him. The weird sort of disappointment he felt was new to him.

The wound was now reduced to a thin white line that, if you asked her, adorned his skin. She didn't even have to wrap it up again, but she did it anyway. For protection, she told herself. He didn't question her.

Now comes the hard part, she thought. "Sasuke-kun, to heal the concussion I am going to have to touch your head."

"Hn"

_'Wow. That was easier than I thought. I thought he would at least protest.'_

She hesitantly placed her fingers on each side of his head, in his lush hair. Because he was sitting, they were at the same height, and he was looking straight into her eyes, which made her blush again.

After a moment, her hands started glowing again and he closed his eyes, sighing softly in relief. He reveled in that feeling, it didn't hurt anymore. He could feel her breath on his face. He opened his eyes to see her gaze focused on his face. He knew she was a renowned medic, known to all the lands as one of the best, but still she never ceased to impress him with her skills.

Suddenly he realized that her hands had left him and she was disposing the used cloth from earlier. When had she pulled away? Had he been so lost in observing her? Part of him was sad he couldn't feel her hands in his hair anymore. Not that he would ever admit it.

He guessed she was done so he went to put on his shirt. She noticed him struggling with one hand and went to help him. She basically took over and he let her. When she finished buttoning his shirt and cape she noticed him smirking slightly at her.

" I could have done it myself. I've had to get used to it, you know."

"I know Sasuke-kun, but...you are among friends now. You don't have to do everything alone. Let us help".

He remained silent. He knew she was right. But still... it wasn't easy letting people in. He was an Uchiha after all...and that damn Uchiha pride wasn't something he couldn't easily overlook.

"Arigato"

She could feel her face get hot again as she lost herself in his gaze. Those marvelous black pools always seemed to captivate her. She cleared her throat.

"No Rinnegan or Mangekyo Sharingan this week. If you can, avoid the Sharingan as well, especially if you feel light-headed. Also, we will have daily sessions, so that your chakra flow gets back to normal."

"Ah."

"And we should get going. Naruto won't wait for long before coming to look for us."

"Ah." He said again and they walked out the door to find the dobe.

"Sakura?"

"Yes Sasuke-kun?"

"I am not having Ramen."

She giggled as they went on their way to find the third member of Team 7.

_**How was that? I hope you liked it as a first chapter. Please review and let me know… Until next time… **__**Night's Wish**_


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello again! I am super excited that I got such a positive outcome! I am still nervous about a multi-chapter story but I will do my best! I am just so happy that you liked the first chapter and I hope you'll like this one just as well… **

Chapter 2

Dinner with his friends had gone surprisingly smoothly. The Usuratonkachi was loud and annoying once every other minute but overall he'd had a good time. He had truly missed them.

They went to that barbecue place they favored when they were younger and talked.

They had been fascinated to hear about his travels, and he, in return, wanted to hear how their lives had evolved.

Turned out Naruto and Hinata were expecting their first child. If it was anything like its father, it would surely cause all sorts of trouble- of that Sasuke was certain-, and that he was training and –to the blonde's dismay- studying to become Hokage.

Sakura on the other hand was working at the hospital and at the Konoha Children Mental Health Clinic. He really thought it was a great idea and who knew, maybe it would help avoid a lot of problems in the future. After all, the future of the world were the children and they deserved to be protected. Or at least have psychological support after a tragedy had already occurred, so no one would have to go through what Naruto and himself went through. And after the war, so many children needed that kind of help.

" So where will you be staying ?"

Of course the dobe would ask a question he wouldn't be able to answer. Sasuke hesitated.

"I was thinking about the place I lived as a kid."

"Umm Sasuke-kun… like the rest of the village it was destroyed during Pain's attack."

"Why not the Uchiha estate? You should rebuild it at some point, ya know."

Sasuke's face darkened and he glared at Naruto. He couldn't do that. He wasn't ready yet. Besides, he would reopen the estate when he restored his clan. And he didn't think he was quite there yet.

Sakura, noticing the tension behind his glare, tried to defuse it. '_Just what is that baka thinking?!' _

_"_But Sasuke-kun, going back there after all these years? It's bound to be dirty."

Sasuke hadn't even thought of that. She was right. It might have been spared of the Pain destruction because it was further away from the central village, but it hadn't been opened since he had abandoned the village, back when they where twelve. 8 years worth of dust was not something he wanted to face at this point.

" An inn, then." 

"Nope. No way. No friend of mine will sleep in an inn, ya know. You can stay with either of us. I am sure me and Hinata-chan can-"

"No way I am sleeping with you dobe!" Sasuke spat in their usual banter-like way.

"Fine!" he exclaimed as if exasperated."How about Sakura-chan's then, ya know?"

Sakura blushed for the umpteenth time today, but she guessed it was mostly because of him being back. She nodded at Sasuke who was looking at her.

" Yeah, you can totally stay at my place."

He kept questioning her with his eyes. Damn those sharp eyes of his. They definitely caught that blush.  
_'Shanaroo!'_

"Hn" was all he replied -a standard Sasuke Uchiha answer, along with the _Ah_s and the _Tch_s.

Even though the past Sakura would be dancing and singing around, ecstatic that Sasuke would be sleeping in her house, the present Sakura was a bit nervous. Nothing would be changing, she knew that much. Though, him staying at her place would help with the healing sessions and she could keep an eye on his progress.

As the dinner came to its end and Naruto waved them goodnight, Sasuke and Sakura were walking side by side to her house. It wasn't that far, ten minutes at most in a regular walking pace.

It was mostly silent, but that didn't faze her. She knew he was never a man of many words, but the silence wasn't awkward, it was comfortable and familiar. Like a story from a time long forgotten.

She found herself smiling. He raised an eyebrow and observed her curiously. She caught his inquiring glance.

"I'm just reminiscing, it's nothing"

A few moments passed before he asked "Good things?"

She beamed at him and said " The best. Our childhood. Our days as Gennin. Our first missions and stuff like that."

"Do you remember that time with the ostrich?" he asked with the hint of a smile.

She burst out laughing. "Oh yes. I can remember the baka's face as if he was standing right here. Or how about that time with those ninja cats? You were so adorable in those cat ears."

His smile turned into a cute pout accompanied by a playful glare.  
She giggled at his expression and couldn't resist the perfect opportunity to tease him.

"Oh don't be like that Sasuke-kun. It was years ago... besides...when you pout like that, Sasuke-kun, you still look adorable." she said while giggling.

He laughed, not hard, just a soft _Heh_, but she knew that was pretty much it. He was always introverted so she shouldn't be expecting anything different. Besides, it was more than she thought she would get.

And just like that they had reached her apartment. She didn't even realize how close they were until they reached her porch. She climbed up the few stairs and unlocked her door. She gestured for him to go inside and then went in herself.

Her house wasn't very large but it was plenty for someone living alone. As he walked in the door, after taking off his shoes and his –almost completely destroyed now- coat at the hall, he walked straight ahead and found himself in her living room. It was roomy and nicely decorated. On the far end he could see a desk and a big bookcase full of books, she had been a bookworm since as long as he could remember, so that was no surprise.

He saw an arch leading to her kitchen and two closed doors, a bedroom and a bathroom, he guessed. He spotted the couch he would most likely be sleeping on and sat down. It was big enough to fit him properly and it was soft to the touch.

"Would you like some tea?"

"Ah"

She smiled and went to the kitchen to prepare it. He used that time to take in the house. It had been a long time since he had stayed between four walls. Or sleep on a mattress. Well, couch technically but still softer than the ground.

The house was neat. Too neat. As if she hadn't been using it. Aside from a medical book on the coffee table, everything else looked untouched. Maybe she wasn't home that often, he thought. He then remembered the dark circles under her eyes.

He had guessed the hospital took too much of her time, but still, he wondered how long had passed since she had actually stayed in and enjoyed her home, not just come in to sleep and be off the next morning, most likely at the break of dawn_. _

_And she lectured me about not taking care of myself…_

But then again he understood her reasons. She wanted to help others, so she put her own needs aside. She had really grown up to be her own woman, but he had no doubt she would. She was a legendary Sannin as well, and he pitied the people who dared to underestimate her.

After a minute or two, she came back with two cups and a teapot on a tray. After she poured them tea and as she sat on the couch as well, she heard a low _Arigato_ coming from his lips. She smiled.

They talked and talked that night, and it shocked him just how easy it was to open up to her again. To the dobe as well but he was loud and stupid. While Sakura seemed to listen carefully to what he said and join in interesting conversation. He felt at ease as they remembered their Gennin days. He learned thoroughly what her everyday life was like, just as she learned his own.

A few hours passed like that. When she felt fatigue claim her, she tried to convince him to take the bed because of his concussion, but he wouldn't let her. The couch was actually pretty comfy so he wouldn't have any problem. She gave him a pillow and blankets and went to her room.

Minutes later, she came back, wearing a turquoise nightgown that complimented her eyes, to ask him if he was settled, if he needed anything. After hearing his very characteristic _Tch_, she slowly approached him.

She ducked so she could reach his lying figure and placed her hands on his head. He sat up just a little to give her better access.

He was expecting that this time, the close contact, though it was still something he wasn't used to. But he didn't flinch as he felt her soft hands intertwining in his ebony hair.

He just looked at her turquoise eyes, who were marked with concentration. Her face was the safest place to look at, if he didn't want to be blushing. Or punched into next week.

The way her night gown was, due to her stance above him, exposing her body was tempting. But he was focused on her eyes. Those vivid green eyes that seemed to always be there. In most of his memories, good and bad. He sighed and closed his eyes as he felt her healing touch yet again.

After a few relieving moments she removed her fingers from his scalp and he pouted slightly. Like almost all of his facial expressions, it was mostly invisible, but he doubted she wouldn't notice it. But he didn't care. He enjoyed her touch, so when she was done he was disappointed. There was no more to it than that. She giggled at the fact that his disappointment was showing. His face went blank again.

" Everything seems to be in order Sasuke-kun, don't worry, you will be back to normal in no time"

He didn't reply, just looked at her. She hadn't moved, so he suspected she might want to talk to him about it.

"Sasuke-kun? How long have you had these headaches?"

He looked away, avoiding her truth-seeking eyes, which proved to be a mistake cause he saw everything else. The way her skirt was riding up her creamy thighs, the way her cleavage was slightly showing due to the position she was in. His gaze ended up on the coffee table on his right.

"How long?" she asked again.

He didn't want to answer. He would get scolded for not taking good care of himself. But he guessed she wouldn't leave without the answer to her question.

" Seven months" he said quietly.

" I see... "she sighed disappointed, he guessed, at him not saying anything sooner. "Relax tonight and I'll see what I can do tomorrow for those migraines you must be having."

Damn. How did she know? It wasn't like she had many patients like him, with his eyes. The Sharingan and the Rinnegan. In one person.

"How did you-"

"I felt it. You have really put a strain on your head, you know."

"Hn"

"It doesn't matter now... Try to have a good night's sleep. Goodnight Sasuke-kun" she said sweetly before she went back to her room and closed the door.

_Goodnight Sakura..._

**Well? What do ya think? Please don't hesitate to let me know in the reviews…**

**Until next time…(he he he. Quoting Itachi proudly…)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello dear readers(hopefully you are still out there XD). This is the third chapter to this story and I am still getting goose bumps every time I post. But there will be a lot more coming. You won't get rid of me that easily ha ha…**

**Anyway ****without further ado… here we go!**

Chapter 3

He woke up from the sound of sizzling from the kitchen and the sweet smell of bacon. It had been a long time since he had slept so well. For a normal person, a night on the couch would have been a bother, but compared to the ground, it was a welcome change.

He could feel his stomach growling because of that great smell filling his nostrils.

He turned his head towards the kitchen. He smiled inwardly when he saw her humming and dancing around while frying what he guessed was omelet.

She had already prepared two plates with sausages and bacon. She had even added tomatoes to his plate.

He found himself half smiling again. She remembered...

She jumped with a noticeable eek as she realized he was standing behind her. He smirked at the shade of red her face turned into. Besides, why was she surprised? Maybe she still wasn't calm around him, he had tried to kill her after all. No matter how many years passed, that was bound to leave some trauma for both of them, even though she would most likely deny it. His small smile turned sour and then he returned to his usual unexpressive face.

She knew he had been sleeping in her living room, didn't she? She also knew he was a light sleeper, and that the sound of her cooking and that great smell would wake him up… Had it been that long ago that they co-existed in Team 7 that she didn't remember his basic habits? Or had she tried to forget about him while he was seeking revenge? Had he really hurt her that much?

Back then, she always seemed to stick around him like a fangirl so he guessed she would remember the little things, his love for tomatoes being a strong example. But years had passed and she was now a strong warrior. He chastised himself for still thinking her as a silly little fangirl. There was much more to her now. She for certain wouldn't think of him as that little arrogant boy that was constantly angry, or at least he hoped she wouldn't. So why was his brain bringing back an image of the past?

Comfort, he told himself. 'She has always been there. She has always been familiar. Even when I wanted no one there, even when I hurt her, she stuck by my side.'

Sakura stuttering brought him out of his reverie.

"Oh G-Good morning Sasuke-kun. You startled me."

He said nothing.

"Though I guess that stealth is something I should have been expecting. You have always been stealthy and now that your ninja skills have-"

She stopped abruptly when she realized she was talking too much and turned back to her frying pan.

This gave Sasuke the opportunity to really take her in. She looked at ease with herself. Her moves were fluid, calm. She looked nothing like the ever nervous pre teen she was back then. She was a grown woman now, he could clearly see that, even though he would never admit to himself that he was looking at the skin her night gown left uncovered for a little longer than it was acceptable.

As the omelets were now ready, she placed them in their plates. She sat down on a chair but he was still standing, staring at the food. It looked amazing, even though it was a simple enough breakfast. He couldn't even remember when was the last time he had eaten anything like that.

" Is there something wrong? "

When he remained silent she started to panic.

"Sorry Sasuke-kun. I can easily make something else. Whatever you want. I just remembered you loved tomatoes when you were younger and I thought that you would like it. I can-"

She stopped when he turned his gaze towards her.

"Sakura" he said softly. "Stop."

"Oh?"

"Stop fussing. It looks good, that's all."

He sat down as well and ate a tomato. He smirked when she blushed. Then she smiled a Sakura-like smile, full of light and joy. It warmed him up inside after his earlier inner battle, that his guilt seemed to have been winning.

"It's important that you eat well Sasuke-kun, especially now that you are recovering."

"Hn" was his only reply while he ate. Ate being hardly the word to describe him practically inhaling his food. Sakura's eyes widened.

'Did he like it that much? When was the last time he ate a proper meal?'

She was midway through her fourth bite when he was done.  
When he lifted his eyes from his plate she forced hers back to her own. Out of nervousness or shyness she didn't know, but she knew she would turn beet red if their gazes met.

Silence.

She could feel his eyes on her but she didn't dare look at him. It took her considerably longer to finish her food than he did and it was all in silence.

When she could avoid his gaze no longer, she lifted her head with a wide smile. She saw amusement in his eyes. He must've noticed her nervousness all of a sudden.

"Arigato Sakura. For remembering." He looked at a tomato piece he saved for the end before he ate it and looked back at her.

"Oh. It was just a little thing I remembered that I thought you would like."

"I know. Still..."

"It's ok Sasuke-kun. Everyone deserves a little pampering from time to time. And Kami knows you haven't enjoyed the little pleasures of life in quite a while. "She said with a grin, her spirits returning.

He remained silent for a while, averting his gaze, and Sakura knew he was deep in thought about his past. She just had to give him space to open up. He needed it and she knew it.

She placed her hand on his fisted palm that was on the table and felt him tense before he relaxed his grip.

"I... I don't think I deserve it."

She just knew it. The guilt was eating him up. That's why his redemption journey was so important to him, he could help people, atone for his crimes.

"Sasuke-kun?"he met her gaze again, despair evident in his eyes." You do. I know you feel like you have a lot to make up for, but don't forget that you already have. Without you, the whole world would be in the Infinite Tsukuyomi. And you know it." She took a deep breath. "And besides, whatever happened before is in the past. You were hurt by the loss of your family and no one can argue with that, no one can judge you because no one can truly understand the pain you went through. Don't be so hard on yourself. When it mattered you came through and you are with us today. And I for one I am happy about that."

"But Sakura... I hurt people. I... I hurt you..." He whispered, looking away in shame.

"And I forgave you. What will it take for you to forgive yourself?"

"I can't. I won't." He paused. "All I can do is try to make up for it by helping others."

"I can understand that. Still... don't ignore your own health. Believe it or not there are still people who care about you." She rubbed the top of his palm softly before standing up.

Before she could leave the kitchen to go get dressed for work, he grabbed her hand. She turned back to look at him.

His eyes said everything his mouth didn't. Thank you.

Once he was sure she understood what he wanted her to know he let go of her hand. She smiled.

It was all the confirmation she needed. And more than she actually expected. He was never a man of words, and he rarely showed his emotions. So to her it was a breakthrough.

But now she had to hurry or risk being late to work. In a matter of minutes she was dressed and ready, in a simple tight black skirt and a red breezy blouse (much like her usual outfit when it comes to the colors),to go to work. She practically ran back to the kitchen to bid him goodbye.

"Sasuke-kun I need to get to the hospital. You can stay in or go out, whatever you like. If you are too bored, you can visit Naruto. He will most likely be in the Hokage's office with Kakashi Sensei. But don't train, at least not too hard, take care of your eyes. No Mangekyo, doctor's orders. I'll be back by noon. See you later."

He stayed still, observing her in interest as she basically said her whole speech on a single breath and sprinted out the door. That was so her, so much like the Sakura he remembered. It soothed him that at least some things didn't change.

For now he was alone.

The peace and quiet of her home lasted about 2 hours. While he was comfortably perched on her couch reading a medical book about chakra flow, he heard someone banging on the door.

He didn't need any clue as to who it was, the obnoxious banging was evident enough.

"Oy, teme" Naruto yelled. He sighed as he opened the door.

"What do you want dobe?" He asked with a glare .

"I thought Sakura-chan would be at the hospital and that means that you would be alone and I came to keep you company." He announced while rubbing his neck nervously.

Sasuke scoffed and left the door to go back to the couch. Naruto knew that the open door was sort of-kind of acceptance so he followed suit. Naruto picked up the book Sasuke was reading and looked at it like it was an alien killing machine.

"You understand that stuff?"

"Usuratonkachi"

Naruto jumped up and yelled "Teme! You really should start respecting me, ya know? I am about to become Hokage and you shouldn't look down on me."

Two minutes in and he was already causing Sasuke a headache.

"Do you ever shut up?"Naruto grinned.

"Soooo..." Started Naruto after a few minutes of silence, "wanna go spar?"

Sasuke looked like he was considering it, but he had actually made up his mind as soon as he had felt Naruto's chakra two blocks away. Sure, that medical scroll would have been useful to a doctor but he was bored out of his mind.

"You're on. And who knows, now that I am not allowed to use the Rinnegan or the Mangekyo you might actually stand a chance, loser" came his reply, amusement evident in his eyes. Although he might not admit it, he was itching for some action, and the ever present competition with the dobe was a perfect opportunity.

Naruto jumped up and pulled his hand to drag him to the training grounds with a huge grin on his face.

When Sakura came home, she was a little disappointed when she didn't feel any chakra inside.

'He must've been off with Naruto, most likely training. I hope he doesn't over exhaust himself.'

Then, an idea popped into her head.

Why not join them? She sure missed the practice with all the time she spent at the hospital.

In a few minutes time she was dressed in her fighting outfit and out the door.

It didn't take long to trace them, Naruto and Sasuke's chakra was blazing through her senses. Even an Academy student could pinpoint them now, with all that energy being used.

She concealed her chakra and hid while watching them. She was pleased they didn't go all out. Even Naruto understood that Sasuke shouldn't be over tiring. Maybe he did have a brain after all.

After observing them for a while, when she finally got an opening in their close combat she jumped high in the air and landed a chakra infused punch to the ground right between them, causing the ground to be destroyed.

They jumped back in shock to avoid getting trampled.

She slowly stood up straight, provokingly dusting her gloves.

"Hello boys!" She said with a grin.

**Well? How was that? Please let me know in the review section… **

**Mata Kondo Da….(as in Until next time…)**

**See ya!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello dear readers! Sorry for the long wait but, with Easter coming, my writing time was reduced to a minimum (Easter in Greece is quite a big deal). Again, so sorry for the delay… **

**Well… here we go!**

_Chapter 4_

Night time had come during the intense "_Team 7 Ultimum Re-Bonding Training Experience_" as Naruto insisted on calling it. That loser would never change Sasuke had decided.

After a good three hours full of Rasengans, Chidoris and chakra infused punches, Sasuke followed Sakura back to her house and they basically collapsed on the couch.

They were exhausted but neither regretted the extreme sparring session. It felt good to reconnect with the team. Natural even.

The last time they fought together was when they were battling Kaguya, two years and some months ago. Compared to that, this was child's play, but still... Sakura would kill for a hot bath right now. And a massage. Any kind of relaxation in general. But he had to come first. He was the injured one after all.

"Sasuke-kun, there is warm water if you want to shower."

"Ah".

He stood up and took off his now ruined shirt. He was surprised that the shirt had lasted this long, with the long wound down his torso and all that. But her numbered days had come to an end. He fumbled a bit but he managed taking it off on his own.

Sakura could understand his need to do it alone, if he needed help he would ask (she hoped). Besides, she doubted she could help him without turning crimson. And that would be very embarrassing.

When he had managed to take his shirt off, he turned to face her. She just stood there looking up at him. She was sure he needed something but couldn't exactly understand what. He motioned at the bandages hiding his chiseled torso. '_Oh, that's right! I left them there as a precaution...'._

Silently she stood up as well and began taking them off.

She was sure she must have been glowing red because of the close distance between them. She wouldn't be able to stand it if he laughed at her emotions. All she had to do was focus on her task and get her medic mode on. She distracted herself by unwrapping the fabric slowly and methodically, trying her best to avoid his perfect body. It had been hard enough at the hospital, but here? In her house? Especially with that look he was giving her.

The whole time she unwrapped the cloth, he was looking at her face. He watched her expression change instantly from shock to embarrassment to shyness before it turned completely blank. The redness remained though. She was adorable, getting flustered by something so simple. And even though her touch sent small electric jolts through his senses, he couldn't understand what was affecting her so much.

He was grateful she had grown up and wasn't the fangirling little teenager from their Gennin days. Though he supposed, that kind of behavior wasn't restricted to the teen age/phase because his Taka teammate Karin acted like that even though she was an adult. It bugged the hell out of him when she threw herself to him like that.

Sakura acted completely professional and he was thankful for that. Though a tiny secret part of him liked the blush on her face. It was another thing that didn't change, that wasn't foreign to him.

And he was thankful for the familiarity.

Plus it made her look cute.

His gaze never left her until she was done. She fascinated him with the small delicate movements of her hands. They were so soft even though he knew they held immeasurable strength. It was an amusing contradiction, but he never showed any emotion on his face.

She looked up at him, finally not being able to avoid his gaze any longer. Why she was embarrassed he didn't know. This felt completely normal to him.

She was the only one that he felt like that with. He couldn't be peacefully close like that with Naruto, he would most likely punch the stupid blonde.

But Sakura brought him calmness, ease. Like he wasn't cursed anymore. Like he could be anything, not just rotten. Not just a curse, but something good as well. Like he mattered, which he guessed he did, to her at least.

She made him feel like he wasn't such a bad person, by the sheer assumption that if he was, she wouldn't be near him. She was always there for him, even when he had rejected her. Even when he had tried to kill her.

He had been in a bad place, but even then he doubted he could go through with it. He just couldn't do it. Put her under a genjutsu sure, but not kill her. She must have been the only person he couldn't hurt like that. But she didn't know that, she was actually scared of him at that time. And he understood that.

Which is why he couldn't forgive himself.  
He felt he just didn't deserve it. Her forgiveness. Her friendship.

But since she had given it to him, he didn't want to let it go to waste.

With his sole hand he traced her cheek softly. "Arigato Sakura".

With that he left, leaving her alone in her living room while he showered.

Twenty minutes passed before he emerged from the bathroom in a cloud of steam.

She couldn't help but gawk at his form covered only by a towel wrapped around his waist. And all those little water drops traveling on his skin looked awfully inviting to her.

'_Damn, if I keep thinking like this I won't make it through the week!'_

She took a few calming breaths before composing herself and giving him a pack of clothes.

"I kept these in case I got a home patient. I think they will fit you. I just thought that since your clothes are ruined you would want something to wear."

He nodded and took the perfectly folded bundle of clothes from her hands and headed to her room to get dressed, so she could use the shower.

As soon as the bedroom door closed, she let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding.

Unbeknownst to her, he clearly heard her sigh from the other side of the door. So he wasn't wrong, he was correct in his earlier assumption. She was indeed flustered just by looking at him.

'_Interesting' _he thought.

He heard a door open and close and he guessed she got in the shower as well.

Sakura could feel the hot water prickle her skin and couldn't help but sigh because of the sensation.

While her body felt perfectly relaxed, her head was another matter. She was flooded by thoughts of him. Of his face, his hair, his body, his eyes. Especially his eyes. The image of the Sharingan kept popping up in her thoughts. Its black and crimson pattern created goose bumps on her skin in spite of the hot water pouring over her body.

She always thought it was beautiful, since she was a child, but now she knew how dangerous it could become. And the more dangerous, the more beautiful it got. A terrifying combination really. All in the eyes of the man she loved for so many years.

That man was another terrifying combination, for as gorgeous as he was, he was just as dangerous. No wonder the name Uchiha spread fear far and wide. But no one needed to be afraid anymore, the danger was gone now, he was reformed.

But, unfortunately, no one could drill into the brains of the cowardly and superstitious that the man they feared and hated was constantly risking his life to protect them. That they were safe thanks to him. All they could see was the past, and not even the -h_elped rescue the world from Kaguya and the Infinite Tsukuyomi- past._They only focused on the bad, on nothing good.

That hatred affected him, she could see it clear as day even though he denied it. She wandered if that was why he needed to travel so much, maybe because nobody knew his past. Or if he faced the same problem wherever he went.

How she wished she could make it clear to him that he was welcome back... To Naruto, to Kakashi, to their friends, to her... Her feelings for him never died, in fact they grew with every little thing he did in his quest to atone for that dark past.

He was at peace, he was kinder and he really wanted to help. That was a welcome change and she couldn't help but swoon every time he looked at her with those beautiful miss-matched eyes of his.

She even saw him smile from time to time. A tiny barely even there kind of smile, but it still counts.

It was nice to have him back.

Before she realized, the water had ran cold and she was shivering. She quickly wrapped herself in her robe and stepped out of the bathroom, only to collapse on a wall of muscle.

"Sorry - sorry Sasuke-kun, I wasn't paying attention." She squeaked and ran straight to her room to get dressed.

Yeah, it was official. She was acting weird. Spending ten minutes short of an hour in the shower, coming out looking blue from the cold and then tripping over her feet and falling face first on his chest. It was awfully clumsy for someone as precise as Sakura.

She was this absent minded only when she was... nervous. He couldn't help but smile a little bit. She didn't have to be nervous around him, she was his teammate, his friend, his doctor for crying out loud. Yet her clumsiness was unbelievably cute. He just had to remind her that she didn't have to be tense. After all, he was the one who should be tense around her.

He was the one who should be embarrassed...he was the guilty one. He didn't deserve to be in her presence. And yet...he couldn't pull away... Part of him dreaded the day he would no longer need her treatment, because he would leave her again.

He had to.

He knew he had to atone for his sins and that was the only way he knew for doing that. He had to clear his name to bring honor to his clan again. That weight was entirely on his shoulders because he was the only member of the clan anymore.

But not for long he hoped.

He would bring honor back to the clan so his future sons and daughters would bear the clan sigil proudly on their backs. And his wife too. He wanted to stand proud next to her, not as an ex- villain turned hero at the end, but as someone who is worthy of his name and ancestors. Someone who is worthy of...her.

Deep down he knew whose face he saw as the future Uchiha matriarch but they were a long way from that. If all the damage he had already caused could be reversed. And that was a big if.

But he wanted her.

She had always been there for him and made him want her around him.

With him.

He just couldn't get over his guilt.

"Let me have a look at your head." she said the moment she came out of her bedroom.

He had a feeling she had repeated it in her head at least twice before facing him. Kami, her shyness was so adorable.

_"Hn" _was all he said before sitting on her couch.

From that point on it was pretty much the same thing as last time. He silently thanked Kami that she wasn't wearing that revealing night gown again...it turned out to be too big a temptation, and he didn't know if he could restrain himself in the daylight and with his adrenaline running high because of the training session.

Instead she was wearing a dark grey skirt and a tight red tank top. It still suited her enough to have him tempted to touch her, but he firmly held control over his body and mind.

She reached out to touch his head, sliding her hands in his silky locks. They were still moist from his shower but it made him cute. Wait...what?

Sasuke Uchiha wasn't cute...hot, muscular and attractive sure, but cute? He would most likely be annoyed with her if she made that comment out loud...and then he would likely pout/frown. Which …would be… cute...

She focused all her chakra in the tips of her fingers and from then on onto him. She felt him get momentarily stiff, inhale and then exhale in relief as all of his body instantly relaxed. He must have been so used to the constant head exhaustion that being relieved seemed like a big difference.

After a couple of quiet moments she decided to end the silence." How does it feel Sasuke-kun?"

He opened his eyes to look at her. That close eye contact proved to be too much for her and she averted her gaze. But he remained silent, and he wouldn't answer if she kept avoiding his eyes.

Expecting an answer and not getting a sound, she looked back up curiously as to why he wasn't speaking. And looking up, she got caught in a trance. His trance.

It's like she couldn't escape his eyes...that's why she tried desperately to avoid them. She knew they were like a trap she couldn't find her way out of. Only when he had her full attention he opened his mouth to reply.

"Hn. Better."

She smiled but blushed and looked away again.

He wouldn't have it. Why would she not look at him? His eyes may be scary to a stranger but she knew him, she knew how and why he had gotten them. So why?

"Sakura?"

"Huh? Yes Sasuke-kun?" she replied with fake cheerfulness to hide her nervousness.

"Is something wrong?"

"No there is nothing wrong. Your head is in a good path to full healing. With proper care and rest you shou-"

"That's not what I meant and you know it."

Damn.

Damn him and his eyes that miss nothing. Not even a tiny detail in the way she acted.

"What is it Sakura?"

"What is what Sasuke-kun?"

"Why do you avoid looking at me?"

Damn... As always Sasuke Uchiha was right on the money. He caught her nervousness.

But what would she say? How could she explain that she didn't want to look in his eyes because she would surely be lost in her past...? And most likely the feelings of her past would resurface...? How could she say that after all the trouble she went through to bury them?

"I don't know what you mean" she said with a wide smile. And if it was anyone else he might have been fooled.

"Don't play dumb, you are better than that. Why?"

"I... Sasuke-kun, it's silly"

Not a word from the man in front of her. Instead he just patiently waited the rest of her response. The stare he was giving her was enough to get her all nervous again.

"It's your eyes Sasuke-kun"

He instantly turned away his face and closed his eyes, a frown marking his lean face.  
"I see. They scare you. I am sorry."

She just stood there while he looked down at his legs shamefully. Could he be more wrong? How could he not see how beautiful they were? They weren't scary, they had helped save the world.

To her, they were magnificent.

"No, it's not that."

One of her hands left the side of his head and lifted his face up to make eye contact. Unsurprisingly, he stubbornly kept them closed.

"Sasuke-kun? " she whispered "let me see them."

A few seconds went by before he reluctantly opened his eyes slowly.

"They are not scary Sasuke-kun, not to me... They are beautiful."

He looked at her with an inquiring gaze. "If you say they are beautiful, then why won't you look at them?"

She blushed. Here she was again... between a rock and a hard place... Why were these awkward embarrassing moments always happening to her? She couldn't say what she was really thinking, but she had a feeling that he wouldn't accept any less than that.

She just had to relax and tell him. How bad could it be?

"It's just that...if I look at them, I will be lost in them, I won't be able to pull away."

There. She did it. She said it.

And was met with awkward silence.

A couple of moments passed before he whispered "Then don't."

"Huh?"

What did he mean? To not look at them? Isn't that what she tried to do and he stopped her?

How would she be able to heal his head without looking at him?

Damn.

He couldn't stop himself from speaking his thoughts. He couldn't control his mouth. Now he had to explain what he meant, explain his thoughts, his feelings... because he was sure by that _huh?_ that Sakura hadn't understood what he meant.

"Don't pull away"

She just looked at him like she was in a trance, a spell those beautiful eyes had specially designed and placed on her.

Damn those enchanting miss-matched eyes.

And just like that time flowed. It could have been an hour, a minute, a second, she would never know. She was lost.

So was he.

And it was easy. It was safe. Comfortable.

He liked watching her. Her viridian eyes, her sweet face, her soft pink lips. He slowly realized that there was a pull between them. A force pulling them together, pulling them in.

Their movements were very slow, so slow that one would think they weren't moving at all, but to him it was a change he didn't know if he could handle. It would change everything, everything between them, everything in his life, in both their lives.

What would happen if they kissed? Because that's where the situation was heading. What would it mean to her? Did she want this? Cause Kami knows he did.

Thoughts of her had flooded his head since before he left Konoha for his atonement journey. Ever since the end of his battle with Naruto when she had healed them, he had realized what his teammates meant to him, what she meant to him.

He knew she would be in his life. That's what the poke on her forehead meant. It was a sign of love and appreciation from his brother to him, and now from him to her. And she seemed to want the same thing. At the time...but two years were a long time.

Maybe she decided he wasn't worth it, maybe she had found someone else. In the small amount of time they spent together in public the last few days he could clearly see the effect she had on the male population. Maybe one of those men that smiled all the time and flirted with her had managed to win her heart. He was a dead man, of that he was sure.

But that would make her unhappy, and he wouldn't hurt her again.

All those doubts and different scenarios plagued his mind, but strangely, with every passing centimeter the came closer to touching, the storm in his head was clearing. If she didn't want him, she would stop him, right?

But she too was moving closer, inch by inch, a tiny bit at a time. It was like they were both fighting their inhibitions, the negative thoughts that were holding them back.

She could feel his breath on her face. They were definitely too close to be considered friendly. And she would most likely be hyperventilating if she wasn't so lost in the moment.

"Sasuke-kun" she whispered out of breath. 

He made up his mind. He wouldn't stall anymore. He had already wasted too much time. He had made her wait for him way too long. 

"Sakura...I-" 

Just as he was about to close that almost non existing distance between them, her front door swung open with a loud _bang_ by none other than that ever stupid teammate of theirs, and their perverted sensei who was, as usual, holding Icha Icha Paradise while being dragged by his annoying student.

Even more annoying to Sasuke, now that had he interrupted a precious to be moment.

"Sakura-chan, Sasuke teme, I came with Kakashi sensei for dinner. I know you cook so well Sakura-chan that's why I decided that we... uhhh... what are you doing?"

Sasuke and Sakura were both too shocked to move. Thank goodness Sasuke's back was facing the front door so they couldn't clearly see just how close those two had been.

Without a second thought Sakura tilted her head towards Naruto and replied "What do you mean Naruto? I am clearly healing him." She turned back to Sasuke.

"Everything seems to be in a good way Sasuke-kun. With a few more healing sessions you won't have any problems. Now, if you'll excuse me, I... will be right back."

With that she basically ran to her room and closed the door quickly.

Naruto unexpectedly punched Sasuke's arm. "Why did you do that Sasuke teme? You didn't have to scare her! She was only trying to help you, ya know!"

Sasuke returned the punch a little harder.

" I didn't scare her dobe. Why are you here? Didn't you get enough of a beating this afternoon? Came to lose again?" He said with a smirk.

"Teme! That was because you guys ganged up on me! And Sakura's punches are hard, ya know."

"Heh. Of course they are. She is Tsunade's disciple after all." Kakashi filled in. "Besides, we all know that you annoy her a lot, that's why she punches you."

"I don't annoy her! Not you too Kakashi-sensei..." Naruto complained.

Sakura had rushed to her room and shut the door.

She leaned against the wall and took a deep breath to try and calm her racing brain.

What had just happened?

Was she about to kiss Sasuke? And was he leaning in as well? And from all the time in the world, that was the moment Naruto chose to barge in? Why were the fates against her?

Damn that blasted idiot. For all she knew this maybe was her only chance.

After a few moments she had relaxed and expelled the vivid red that would have surely given them away.

Oh Kami, how would she make it through dinner?

After few minutes of bickering between the men of the group, Sakura resurfaced and smiled nostalgically at the amusing sight. It was rare to see her team like they were in the old days. She decided not to disturb them and she headed silently to the kitchen.

Opening her fridge, she was thankful she had all the ingredients for Udon noodles with soy chicken on the side. After preparing the chicken, as she was chopping the scallions as a toping, she felt a familiar presence behind her.

"How is it going?"

"Oh, great Kakashi-sensei. Everything is cooking great."

"I meant with Sasuke." She decided to ignore the amused tone in his voice.

"Well, his health is slowly but surely improving. By the end of the week he will be fine."

"And I am sure he is very grateful to you for... helping him." Kakashi said with a smirk wide enough to be seen even though his mask.

Sakura blushed bright red at the teasing of her former teacher. The only clean way out was to get into medic mode, she decided.  
"Well, his eyes needed the healing. And his head, he had had a few concussions over the months he was gone."

"Sure" he said with a wink and rejoined the others in the living room.

That man, did he have to tease her? Sure, he wasn't as dense as Naruto, he wouldn't have been fooled by her cover story but did he have to rub it in?

After a few minutes dinner was ready and she called the rest of Team 7 to the kitchen.

It was pleasant, eating and conversing with his old team. And now Kakashi was there to shut Naruto up, which made his life easier. It was over far too soon, but it was understandable...they had gone all out that afternoon so they were tired.

After bidding Naruto and Kakashi a too loud goodbye for his liking, they relaxed on the couch.

Well, _he_ relaxed on the couch.

Sakura was doing every little thing possible to avoid sitting down. From cleaning the table, to putting the leftovers carefully in different little packages in the fridge, to actually organizing some books in her bookcase. She was now doing the dishes. He had tried to help but she'd shooed him away.

So he was waiting patiently for her to check his head before retiring for the night.

They wouldn't get their moment back, that much he knew. Sakura was obviously doing her best to avoid him and he could clearly see her blush every time she so much as looked at him. She was nervous and he knew it.

They would have another time. He could wait for her. After all, he owed her that much, after all the waiting she did for him.

He had been right. Her checking his head lasted a couple of seconds maximum and she then bolted to her room after a quick and quite high pitched_ goodnight. _He heard her release a breath as soon as her door closed.

He sighed and got comfortable on the couch.

_Goodnight Sakura. Thank you..._

And he drifted to a deep sleep.

**Soo? What did you think? Please don't hesitate and press that **_**Review**_** button and let me know!**

**See you next time!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Helloo! Here we go for chapter five... As some of you may have noticed, there is a chapter for every day that they stay in Konoha before Sakura accompanies Sasuke on his journey. That's why the chapters vary in size. **

**Also, thank you so much for the reviews! They really made my day! I am happy you liked the part that Sasuke knew he liked Sakura. I am more happy that it's not just a part in a fanfic but a part in an official Naruto book( Akatsuki Hiden I think). When I came across Sasuke admitting to himself that he cared for Sakura I just knew I had to put that part in this fic. **

**Anyway, enjoy...**

Chapter 5

"Shit" Sakura cursed as she stumbled her toe over her dresser.

She hadn't heard the alarm clock, and she was now late for work. She had no time for breakfast, she barely had enough time to put on a teal sundress. She liked wearing dresses to work. They were more comfortable on the inside of her doctor robe than a pair of pants and a shirt would have been.

Truth was, she barely had any sleep the night before. She kept tossing and turning, unable to find any kind of peace and relaxation.

Deep inside she knew what was troubling her, even though she chose not to admit it.

It was Sasuke and that almost kiss they shared.

She had to have been wrong, right? This was Sasuke, and Sasuke wasn't like that. He didn't _do_ romance. He didn't _do _human contact.

In the past he barely let anybody touch him, not even for healing, and now they had almost kissed? She must have been wrong. It must have been in her head.

It just didn't add up and that was why she couldn't sleep until dawn. No wonder she didn't hear her alarm clock. She was actually lucky to have woken up ten minutes before she had to be at the hospital. But that meant she had to run.

As quietly as she could, she opened her bedroom door only to be met with a wide awake Sasuke looking at her strangely.

He had woken up by that bang and her cursing when she hit her leg.

"Sorry I woke you Sasuke-kun. I just-"

"Are you hurt?"

"No, no I am ok. Just hit my foot a bit. It's no big deal."

She stood there for a moment, taking him in. He looked like he had just rolled out of bed, which she guessed he had. His eyes were half lidded and his hair was messy and it was incredibly sexy to see him like that. Like no other girl ever had.

He smirked at her looking at him.  
"You are late."

It was like a switch turned on in her head because she suddenly started running again. In mere moments she had put on a pair of shoes and with a rushed_ 'Have a good day!'_ she was out the door.

He didn't even have time to reply.

Now... What would he do?

He did owe the Rokudaime a big mission report for the time he'd been gone. Every remaining trace of Kaguya and the White Zetsu had to be kept well guarded. Kami knows, no one wants to go through another Shinobi world war, him more than anyone.

After a while, he slowly got up to freshen up in the bathroom and get dressed. He didn't have much trouble making breakfast, he was used to cooking one-handed after all, even though his own cooking seemed inferior in comparison to Sakura's.

As soon as he was fully dressed, he was out of the door.

He decided to take path on the roofs, reminiscing his childhood days. Everything seemed... less complicated back then.

Before he knew it he reached the Hokage's office. Without knocking, he entered Kakashi's office. The Anbu officer that was giving a report seemed shocked at the fact, but Kakashi, ever the calm teacher, acted like nothing weird happened. He knew his former student had a tendency to do just that. Besides, formalities between them seemed out of place.

"Sasuke... Here for your long awaited report I assume", he said and then turned towards the other Shinobi "Could you give us a moment?"

"Hai Rokudaime-sama"

"And drop the sama"  
But the Anbu had already flashed out of the office.

"Tell me."

"I found another underground Zetsu hatching place."

"It's destroyed I presume…"

"Ah."

"Were they activated?"

"Some. They were misshaped. A remnant of the war. The rest were inside cocoons."

"And when was that?"

Sasuke stayed silent for a bit. "Ten months ago."

"And why didn't you return then? An immediate report would be the most logical thing."

Sasuke looked down.

"Sasuke..."

"I couldn't." Sasuke looked directly at his former teacher's eyes defiantly. "I had things to do."

"We both know that's not the reason. While the things you do are admirable, the Hidden Leaf could use a neo-Sannin in more useful ways."

"I couldn't come back. You know why."

"Know what?"

"Don't play games Kakashi. I am the enemy in their eyes. They would ne-"

"See, that is where you are wrong. You were an enemy, sure. You abandoned the Leaf to avenge your clan. But when it mattered you came through and that's a fact. So don't pretend you don't want to stay."

Sasuke paled. Kakashi always had a knack for seeing right through his students but he had never been this straight forward.

"Sasuke... I know you want to redeem yourself and as a teacher I am proud of you for it, but do something for yourself from time to time. Take a break. Sakura said your head was in a pretty bad condition right? So take it easy for a while. You have friends, a few due to that _stay away_ attitude of yours, but friends all the same. Accept our help. You are not alone anymore."

Sasuke remained quiet.

"Besides... I can think of a medic who would like to help you on your journey..." Kakashi added with a sly smile.

"Kakashi!?" Sasuke glared.

"What? Can't an old sensei be interested in his students lives?" he said wiggling his eyebrows.

"It's none of your business" Sasuke grumbled.

"Fine, fine…" the Hokage said before opening a hidden Icha Icha novel from under his desk.

The fact that Sasuke hadn't stormed out meant that he wanted something else.

Kakashi indeed knew his student well, so he pretended to read while giving Sasuke the time to voice his thoughts.

"Did you mean that?"

"What part?"

_'Damn him. He would make nothing easy_.'  
"Would I be welcome back? When I am done?"

Kakashi chuckled." For someone called a genius all his life, who would have thought you could be as dense as Naruto." That earned him a glare." You always were welcome back Sasuke."

Sasuke never said another word, nor showed any emotion. He just backed away and out of the office, making way for the Anbu to return inside.

Before the door closed he heard a loud "Say _Hi _to Sakura-chan when you get back to her house!"

_'Damn him. He just had to make sure the whole Hokage tower heard him.'_

Suddenly all the eyes were on him, faces sporting many different emotions. Sasuke blushed and glared at nothing in particular as he flash stepped out of the building to avoid further embarrassment.

The sun was high in the sky as he stepped outside. That meant it was around 2 o' clock. Sakura would be getting of work soon.

He wanted to do something nice for her, to let her know he was thankful for her hospitality.

But he was never a man of words. He usually let his actions do the talking.

Before he realized where he was heading, he found himself outside of Konoha's hospital.

He stood under the shadow of a big tree outside the entrance of the hospital, waiting for her to came out when she was done. Kami knows he couldn't handle another embarrassing scene, so he couldn't enter the hospital, so he had no other choice. He would wait.

A little more than an hour had passed when Sakura stepped out of the building.

She had had a lousy day at work and she could barely stand. On top of her sleep deprival, she had to operate four surgeries with extensive need of chakra and two others, not as serious. So, to say she was exhausted would be an understatement.

She was relieved that the next day would be her day off and she would rest.

It might have been the exhaustion, but when she saw Sasuke waiting for her outside, her knees buckled. So that's why all the younger nurses were giggling and whispering all noon.

"Sasuke-kun? What are you doing here? Is there something wrong with your head?" she asked, medic mode already on.

"Tch."

"Then how come you-"

"I was passing by on my way back from Kakashi's office." he explained. "He says hi." he added with a tone that was a little annoyed.

"Oh, that's kind of him! So you came to pick me up?"she asked with a hint of a blush grazing her cheeks.

He looked at the sky when he replied with a small _Hn._

Her blush intensified. "Thank you Sasuke-kun, I appreciate it."

He said nothing as he turned around and started to walk away, a little slower than his usual pace, so she could catch up.

"How was your day?"she decided to break the silence.

"Had to report to the Hokage" he grumbled.

Sakura knew that tone. Kakashi had messed with him and now she was curious about what he had said. It must have been embarrassing for Sasuke to look so annoyed just by mentioning him. She decided to not intrude. She just hoped he had said nothing like what he had said to her the night before. That would have been bad. Especially for her chances of it ever happening again.

They just walked in silence again, and just like the other night, it wasn't awkward. It felt like they were connecting through that silence, their spirits entangling together. It was calming, and she needed that after the day she had. And it was only mid-day! How would she make it till night without passing out seemed like a mystery.

Especially if Naruto visited again. Or even worse, if he planned to take them out for dinner, most likely ramen.

Sooner rather than later, they reached her front door and entered her house.

She was so tired she almost didn't sense Naruto's presence from inside. And there he was, half sitting half lying on her couch.

Sasuke spoke before she even opened her mouth."What are you doing here dobe?"

"What? A teammate can't visit another teammate's house?"

"Usually when said teammate is in her house" Sakura replied.

"What do you want?"

"Jeez don't team up and attack me. I came to invite you to dinner. The whole gang wants to see you Sasuke! Who knows how long you'll stay this time, ya know!?"he said, raising his arms in exaggeration.

Just her luck!

The one time she is a dead woman walking everyone wants her to do anything other than sleep. She could already feel a headache coming.

Sasuke was looking at her face, for her thoughts she guessed. It made sense, he wouldn't just decide for both of them, and he wanted her opinion.

She couldn't read his expression. She guessed he wouldn't want to go, but it would be nice if he met with friends. That way he would feel less ostracized, she hoped.

She exhaled tiredly.

"Where?"she asked and Naruto beamed.

"No ramen!" Sasuke interjected.

"Teme! Fine! No ramen!" he pouted. "What is it with you people? Why is everyone against ramen?! What did it ever do to you?!"he whined."8 pm at the barbecue place we went last time. Hinata already made reservations."

Thank Kami for Hinata.

Sakura guessed she had already scolded Naruto on always insisting on ramen more than once. She was one of the few people that could handle that loudmouth, and she was grateful for sure.

"Hn. Now leave. Can't you see Sakura is tired?"

Naruto looked sheepish. "Sorry Sakura-chan, I was just so excited to invite you both, I didn't notice, ya know. See you then!"he practically yelled before hugging her and going out the door. He tried to hug Sasuke as well but he stepped back after receiving the famous Uchiha glare.

They both sighed in unison when the door closed.

"Sit" he said in a tone that reminded her of an order.

"Huh?"

"Sit. You are tired."

"Sasuke-kun I have to serve lunch and-"

"Sit. I'll do it."

From then on it was a battle of glares, to see who would prevail. She was looking at him defiantly but he seemed adamant that she rested.

No surprise when she sighed and sat on the couch defeated, and he smirked while heading to the kitchen.

He didn't have trouble finding the food she had cooked the previous night, but serving it proved to be a greater challenge than he had expected. Especially when he had one arm. 

He managed to serve and heat the noodles and chicken, but when he decided to make a salad, that's where his troubles began.

His plan was to cut a simple tomato salad as a side dish, but every time he tried chopping it, it slid off the chopping board. One time it even fell on the floor. 

She heard the vegetable drop and him mumbling and quietly cursing, and couldn't help but peek to see what he was doing. The giggle she released upon seeing him struggling didn't do good things to his ego and earned her a glare.

"Laughing at the invalid?" he said mock-pouting.

"You could have just asked for help Sasuke-kun."

She was met with silence as he was stubbornly staring at the board, mentally forcing the tomatoes to stay still. Needless to say, it didn't work.

She raised her hand to hold the tomato in place for him to cut it. It worked surprisingly well. Them harmoniously working together even on little things such as this always made her heart flatter, as rare as it was.

She knew he must have been a bit annoyed for needing help, and she knew he stubbornly never ask for it unless it was absolutely necessary, but that wouldn't stop her from offering.

After a peaceful meal, if you'd asked her, she would say that the best dish was the tomato salad.

"Go sleep."

"I am fine now Sasuke-kun." she said right before a yawn escaped her.

He raised an eyebrow quizzically. No words needed to be said. He was right and she knew it.

With a small_ Fine_ she went to the bathroom for a quick shower before sleeping.

When, a few minutes later, she came out of the bathroom, she saw him lying on his side on the couch, face facing her and eyes closed. As if he sensed her gaze, as soon as her eyes studied his relaxed face, his eyes opened.

Staying at her house proved to be a bigger challenge than he thought it would be.

First that flimsy nightgown that gave him suggestive thoughts, then that urge to be close to her, to kiss her, and now she was barely covered with a towel, her skin moist and flushed from the heat of the water.

'_What happened to that bath robe she was wearing yesterday? That was less tempting compared to this'_, he thought.

She smiled apologetically, for seemingly waking him up, he assumed. But he wasn't sleeping. He was just relaxing.

And now that peaceful relaxation was interrupted by thoughts he wasn't used to having, they seemed like more of his sensei's thing rather than his.

Suddenly he turned on his other side staring at the couch pillows. She didn't know what to make of that but she was too tired to care so she went to her room to sleep.

Around seven pm he knocked on her door to wake her up. After three attempts without a reply he decided to enter. They had to be on time otherwise the dobe would yell their ears off.

He hesitantly opened her bedroom door only to find her sprawled all over the bed. He chuckled a bit and thanked whatever gods were out there that she had enough energy to change into her nightgown and not sleep with just a towel. Or even worse, without it.

At least with the nightgown she was more covered than by that towel. She would have made some serious damage if he had walked in and she was in a state of undress.

He softly applied a bit of pressure on her shoulder and shook her a little bit. She stirred but didn't wake up. He tried again, this time successful. She opened her eyes and blinked a few times, looking at him sleepily. Then she mumbled _"Just another dream"_ and turned on her side, her eyes closing once again.

He just stood there, part of him worrying about the hurt he had caused her by not being there, in the extent of her often dreaming about him, and the other part wanted to grin stupidly at the fact that she was dreaming about him. It had to mean something, right?

"Sakura..." 

No reply.

"Sakura." he tried again, this time giving her shoulder a little push. Success.

She turned around to look at him and smiled. "What time is it?" 

"Seven"

Her eyes widened a bit and she lifted herself from the bed. They walked out of her room together and she headed towards the bathroom to pour water on her face so she could wake up fully.

When she came out, she found him sitting on the couch, dressed in just his pants. He must be getting ready to shower, she thought. She couldn't stop herself from blushing a little bit.

"Thanks for waking me Sasuke-kun. Who knows what we would hear if we were late."

"Ah." he said with a smirk as he stood up. He liked seeing her blushing so he decided to press his luck a little bit. He paced slowly but surely towards her, stopping just a few inches sort of where she was standing and towered over her.

He smirked as that small blush erupted and made her whole face and neck crimson. 

"Sakura" he whispered.

"S-Sasuke-kun? Is something wrong?" 

He purposely leaned close to her ear."Sakura...you are in front of the door."

It took her a while to process what just happened. In an instant she almost jumped away from the door and out of his way, watching him go in a with a smirk.

Wait...was that teasing? Sasuke was... teasing her? She huffed loud enough for him to hear her but the color on her face didn't fade away.

_'Two could play that game'_, she decided. But what could she do? She couldn't be mysterious and seductive like he was without stuttering. She had to go at it another way.

She got her idea when she opened her closet to get dressed.

She didn't know if it would work but it was her best bet.

There it was, hanging on the far end of her closet. The dress Ino got her for her nineteenth birthday. The dress she never dared put on.

It was beautiful really, it's just that she thought it was too provocative. But that was what she wanted now, something provocative enough for his jaw to drop and his eyes to roam.

He wanted to tease, fine. She would play too. And when determination met stubbornness, Sakura was a dangerous combination.

That dress was the definition of _the little black dress. _It had spaghetti straps that tied behind her neck leaving her back bare, a V-neckline deep enough to tempt but not enough to be slutty, and the way it hugged her body made her feel stunning. It wasn't too short, it reached about mid thigh.

It was beautiful, she just had never found a good opportunity to wear it. With her knee high boots it made a great combination.

But she didn't want to make it easy for him. She wanted him to not expect it. A plan was forming in her head.

Sasuke had gotten dressed and was waiting for Sakura. It was now seven thirty and they needed to get going.

Just as he was about to knock Sakura opened the door and fell right on him.

"Sorry Sasuke-kun"

"Hn. I am used to it by now." he said with a smirk.

"Hey! It was an accident!"she said and playfully smacked his chest.

"Isn't it a bit hot for that?" he gestured at the tan trench coat she was wearing over her clothes.

"It's ok Sasuke-kun, I just don't want to catch a cold. Come on, we'll be late!"she said and pulled him out the door.

They took their time getting to the restaurant, barely making it in time. Naruto of course nagged that they were late even though it was two minutes to eight.

The dinner went on quite smoothly for Sasuke. He saw old friends and rivals from back in the day, all joined together laughing and talking. He was even enjoying himself until Sakura took off her trench coat.

Every single person on the table went silent for a moment, he even heard a few gasps. Only Ino was grinning. He guessed she knew something about Sakura's appearance that the rest of the group didn't.

_'Yes! Success!' _she thought. Just by seeing him pale a bit and looking down at his lap, she knew she had won that round. _'Serves him right for teasing me, Shanaroo' _.

What she hadn't thought of thought was the fact that he wasn't the only one affected. Half the males in the restaurant were gawking, some going even as far as to wink at her. The grey spot in her plan brought a blush on her cheeks. 

"Sakura-chan you look great, ya know!"

"He is right Sakura-chan! You truly are Konoha's most beautiful Cherry Blossom!" Lee added.

"Well...it was a special occasion, right?"she replied blushing.

Lucky for Sakura, after that first shock everything got back like it was moments ago.

Well... almost everything.

Sakura liked the fact that Sasuke wouldn't even look at her. Her plan had worked better than she thought it would. Especially because of the barely there color dusting his face.

_'Just what does she think she is doing? Is she blind? Can't she see the whole store is hitting at her? Can't she see... can't she see what she was doing to me?'_

Various things passed through his head, but the image of her body never left. He tried to concentrate on anything else, even engaging in conversation with the dobe, for crying out loud! But nothing seemed to work, especially with catching her looking at him every once in a while, her eyes as innocent as her body was seductive. This was not an image he was likely to forget anytime soon.

_'Damn!' _He kept ignoring her. Talking with Naruto and Tenten about kunai of all things. Maybe she had misunderstood the tension between them.

Ino poked her then, getting her attention.  
"Nice outfit Forehead! The one who bought it must have good taste"

"Ha ha." 

Ino leaned close to whisper in Sakura's ear."So...we both know you wouldn't wear it without a reason because of your unnecessary modesty. So tell me... What is happening between you and Sasuke?" 

"Pfff. I don't know Ino pig. Earlier today I thought he was teasing me and I wanted to return the favor. But I guess I was wrong because he seems totally unaffected. He doesn't even care about what I am wearing. Shanaroo, he won't even look at me!" Sakura returned the whisper. 

"What is it with you Team 7 members and recognizing signs? You're worse than Sai-kun! At least he is justified, due to his past. He is totally affected! How can you not see it?"

"You think so?" 

"And you'd think there was a brain under that large forehead of yours " Ino said with a smirk. 

"Oh, shut up Pig. So? How are things with you and Sai?" 

Ino blushed." Better than I thought it would be. It was a little hard at the beginning, but now we can understand each other completely. Plus, he is so goo-" 

"La la la, I don't want to hear that!" 

They both laughed hard. 

That's pretty much how their evening continued.

It was nice being with friends. Even an introvert couldn't disagree. Sasuke was grateful for his friends' acceptance. It made everything that Kakashi said sound true.

Everyone had changed, had grown. So had he. Hell, even the Usuratonkachi had matured somewhat. A welcome change, even though he could still be as dense as a board sometimes. Still...he was his comrade, his friend, his brother. Thanks to the loser he was where he was now.

Time flowed and before they knew it, they were greeting the others goodnight and departing. Walking. In silence. The difference this time was the tension between them.

"Wear your coat, you'll get sick." 

Sakura, encouraged by Ino's words, was giggling on the inside. '_So he doesn't want me to be uncovered huh?' _

"No thanks Sasuke-kun. I am warm enough." A pause. "To be honest I feel like my skin is on fire" she tried, deciding to push her luck a little bit.

Not another word was spoken in that fifteen minute walk to her house.

He was desperately trying to avoid looking at her. He had managed well enough during dinner, talking about anything and everything, with everyone but her. He just couldn't look at her without thinking things he shouldn't be thinking about.

Lucky for him, they had reached her house and just like the previous days, they would follow a simple pattern before her going to her room to sleep.

The minute she walked through the door, the simple pattern he was hoping for, shot off to hell.

She basically plopped down on the couch and laid there, an image far too tempting for his own good. He went to the kitchen to get a glass of water for his suddenly dry mouth. After stalling as much as he could, he returned to the living room only to find her stretching.

Another tempting image for him to try to forget.

After sensing his presence in the room again she got up and motioned for him to sit on the couch. For their daily healing session, he figured.

He sat on the farthest end of the couch. She approached him and placed her hands on his head, closing her eyes in concentration.

He couldn't help but exhale in relief as the familiar chakra flowed through him. It was a calming sensation he couldn't describe. Like everything bad in the world, every pain, every doubt, every anxiety went away.

In that state of no bad emotions, he kissed her. A simple touch of lips but it was enough to catch her off guard and disrupt her concentration. The green light faded from the tips of her fingers.

From the incredulous look she was giving him, he guessed she hadn't been expecting anything of the sort. He couldn't blame her, even he wasn't exactly expecting it.

He knew he wanted to be with her, but he wanted to approach her slowly. To take his time to win back her heart. Not on a whim. She deserved more than a kiss on impulse. Much more. And yet...he couldn't find himself complaining.

He was glad it happened. Even if she didn't want him, he was glad it happened at least once.

"Sasuke-kun?" 

"Hn." 

"Did...did you just...?" 

"Ah." 

She turned crimson. He could see all the wheels turning in her head, she was close to hyperventilating, of that he was sure. 

He chuckled.  
"Arigato Sakura." he said and led her to her room.

He had a feeling that if he let her, she would be standing still, leaning over the couch for quite a while. Her nervousness was amusing to him.

After closing the door he settled down on the all too familiar couch, looking at the ceiling until sleep claimed him.

**Well? How was that? I wanted some Kakashi messing with his student and I hope I did him justice. He is one of my favorite closet perverts after all! XD**

**As for their first kiss, I know I cut it short in the last chapter but I wanted some tension. It makes things more fun(laughing evilly in the background). I hope you liked the way I imagined it happening, with Sasuke losing all of his inhibitions, all of his control. I think that, that way it means he subconsciously wanted it, and it was just another natural action to him. **

**Anyway, I would love to hear your thoughts on the matter so please press that review button and tell me what you think!**

**Mata kondo da!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello again dear readers! Thank you so much for the reviews…please keep them coming. So, so sorry for the delay, I know I usually upload on Fridays or Saturdays but I just wasn't completely satisfied with the chapter and I kept on writing it, quite a few times. I just wanted it to be perfect because in future chapters I plan to bring in some angst and this was just such a good moment between them. Anyway… I hope I portrayed it well enough. **

**Hope you like it!**

Chapter 6

A loud banging on the front door woke her up with a groan. She sleepily opened her eyes to look at the time. 7:30.

She groaned again. '_This was supposed to be my day off! Shanaroo!' _she thought in despair._ 'I swear, if it's Naruto he will get the beating of his life' _she mumbled annoyed.

The loud knocking on the door continued.

"Wake up Forehead, Shizune needs us! This is an emergency! Every medic is on call! Wake up!" Ino yelled loud enough to be heard through the door.

Sakura jumped up from the bed and instantly started getting dressed. If Shizune said it was an emergency, and Ino was actually up and ready before 9 am, then it had to have been serious. '_There goes my day off_'.

But it was an emergency, so she couldn't say anything about it.

After a moment of Sakura not answering the door, Ino barged in the house, only to find a half asleep Sasuke lying on the couch, covered with a blanket up to his ears and glaring at the one who interrupted his sleep. It was a funny sight really, seeing the great Uchiha avenger in such an mundane state.

"Good morning Sasuke-kun! Sorry for waking you. " Ino said with her naturally charming tone and went straight to Sakura's room, opening the door forcefully.

Sakura, half naked, yelped in surprise and slammed the door in Ino's face.

"Oops! Sorry Sakura. You know, you could have said something!" Ino yelled through the door.

"And you could have not barged in, Pig!" Sakura replied just as loudly.

After a couple of minutes of awkward silence between the Uchiha and Ino, Sakura came out of her bedroom, grabbed Ino by the hand and pulled her out of the front door while yelling _"Bye Sasuke-kun, see you tonight"_

And just like that they were outside.

"What's the deal Sakura? You nearly tore my arm off!" Ino complained and rubbed her sore hand while walking to the hospital.

"Well you opened my bedroom door while I was changing!" Sakura shot back. "What if Sasuke-kun had seen me naked?!"

"Oh please, Forehead! The only thing you were missing was a shirt. And you don't have that much to hide" Ino teased.

"Still!"

"Besides, don't tell me you wouldn't want him to see you half naked if it might have sped things up between you two. Plus I was standing in front of your door so I doubt he saw anything."

"Of course I wouldn't want that! I am not you!" Sakura stuck out her tongue. "And after all that happened last night, it would be so weird"

"Whoa there. Don't go holding out on me Forehead. What happened last night?"Ino asked wiggling her eyebrows.

"It's nothing"

"You know I can tell you are hiding something by that adorable red on your face, right?"

"Ino!" Sakura gasped, covering her face.

"So spill. Don't make me read your mind." she joked.

"Well..." Sakura started saying while twiddling her thumbs " we kissed."

"I knew it! I knew he wouldn't be able to stay away from you wearing that dress."

"How could you possibly know it Pig? I didn't even know it!?"

"Easy. I got you that dress. I just knew black was his color. And you were quite seductive last night, you know…" she said with a smirk.

"Hai hai, whatever you say." Sakura said, giving up a seemingly endless conversation with her best friend right before entering the building, efficiently closing the subject.

Sasuke was at a loss for words. Not that he could talk to anyone now that he was alone again. Sakura was gone, before he could say one word to her. He knew that she would want to talk about what happened last night.

But then again, after seeing her half naked this morning, he doubted the conversation would have gone easily. Another image he wouldn't be able to repel. And for some reason, every image managed to be more tantalizing than the one before.

He just knew he would be dreaming about Sakura in that red lacy bra in the days to come. If he was lucky it would happen when he was back on his journey and not in the same house as her. Restraining himself in that situation would be quite hard, he guessed.

And there he was again, looking at her ceiling, thinking what to do in the day and coming up blank. Was he that unaccustomed to the life in the village? Was he that unused to it that he had nothing to do?

Normally, if he was on the road, he would either be travelling from village to village to see the world and investigate on Kaguya's remnants, or help those who needed his help. Either way he was almost never without a thing to do, and even on the rare occasions he couldn't travel, he would train.

Maybe that's what he needed to do…

But he couldn't, not like that. Not in the clothes Sakura gave him. They were civilian and they would rip almost instantly. And since the uniform he used to wear was ruined when he got wounded, he guessed he had no other option left.

At first he thought he could ask the Hokage for a standard Konoha Shinobi uniform, but he quickly dispersed the thought. He wouldn't be able to go on anonymously on his travels in a pretty distinctive outfit, even if he could cover it with his traveler's coat. And if said coat hadn't been ruined.

In any case he needed to stock up on kunai, explosive tags and other weapons, so he guessed he wouldn't be able to avoid shopping. But where would he start?

The village had changed so much. All the weapon stores he remembered in his youth would have either moved or closed not that the world was at peace.

Once he finally decided to actually get up and get ready, he found his way to the center of the Hidden Leaf village. '_At least the fundamental structure of the village didn't change'_, he thought. The streets were the same, it was the buildings that he had trouble with. They were all new and unfamiliar.

After a little bit of walking, he found a weapon's store that, as it turned out, belonged to Tenten. Sasuke had no problem with that, he actually respected the weapon's mistress. She had played a big part in the 4th Ninja War, almost losing her life helping Darui defeat the resurrected brothers Kingaku and Ginkaku and later, Akatsuki member Kazuzu, with the Sage of the Six Paths' sacred tools. Some of them were even on display at her store under a _Not for sale_ note.

He saw her face brighten at the sound of the door opening. _'She must not have been having a lot of customers in a time of peace', _he thought.

"Hello Sasuke. What can I do for you?"

"I need to restock on weapons. And a Shinobi attire."

"Sure." she beamed. She lead him to a clothes stand, where he picked a standard black pair of pants and a black shirt, along with a kunai holster/ travel bag. Now all he needed was an coat, since some of the places he visited were accustomed to rough weather. A dark cloak that fastened at the neck caught his eye. It reminded him of the one he had before he left Konoha to go on his journeys, before it had been destroyed and he had to get that tan over coat. Black certainly suited him more than tan.

After selecting a bunch of weapons he decided he was done with shopping for as long as he could, and started heading back to Sakura's place. He was lucky that she had kept her house practically unlocked to her friends, all it needed was a little chakra, because he could go out and train or something without carrying her with him, or her staying home to unlock whenever he was done. He was all the more glad she considered him close enough to leave him out of the locking Jutsu almost every Shinobi used.

He entered her home with a sigh. He really disliked shopping. It was just too much of a bother, over stuff he didn't really need. A Shinobi was supposed to live of the land, so with a few kunai and a sleeping bag he was good to go. And even though he couldn't be against a house's comforts, the Shinobi in him longed to sleep under the stars.

He went to her kitchen and looked at the time on a clock on the wall. '_13:45. Sakura will be getting off from work soon.' _he thought. After eight hours of surgeries he guessed she would be exhausted. He opened her fridge to look for ingredients to make a meal for her. A simple yakisoba would suffice. He pulled a pack of noodles from a cupboard and let it soak in water for ten minutes.

As it was soaking he tried his best to chop and slice vegetables. He wasn't used to cooking that required preparation on the road, so it took a fair bit of effort, and if some pieces weren't exactly thin and even, Sakura wouldn't mind. Bacon was easy to chop, as were the peppers he decided to add. Tomatoes and onions were another matter.

Normally, for jobs that required both hands, if there was no other way, he would manifest an arm using his Susano'o. But since his doctor said no Mangekyo Sharingan, and since his doctor was Sakura, a kunoichi with extreme power and kind of violent tendencies, especially towards their baka teammate, he decided against it. He managed to keep the tomato still enough to cut, but apparently onions were against him.

Sakura got come just in time to hear him grumble something inaudible. She giggled as she guessed he must have been trying to cook again. It was nice that he was taking care of things when he knew she would be tired, but he didn't have to trouble himself with trivial things like cooking. She enjoyed doing it, and even more she enjoyed cooking with him, kinda, like they did yesterday.

"You know I can help you, right?"

"Sakura?!" She saw him tense a bit, which meant he hadn't heard her come in.

"I can do it."

"I didn't ask if you could do it, I asked if you want help with it."

He tried one last time to slice the onion in front of him, without result. It just rolled away when it came in contact with the knife.

He sighed. That was all the answer she was going to get. It was all the answer she needed.

She came closer to him and with her hand she stabilized the onions for him to chop and add to the frying pan along with the rest of the ingredients. She took a step back, giving him space to finish what he started.

Stirring and serving were no problem at all for him. So she just sat on the kitchen table with a wide smile on her face.

"Arigato Sasuke-kun."

"Hn. Don't thank me. It was your food."

"Yes but you cooked it. "

"_Tch_."

The sat and silently ate, stealing glances once in a while, while the other wasn't looking.

The night before was passing through her head again and again making her unable to concentrate on anything. He noticed her playing with her food.

"You don't like it?"he asked, although it sounds half question and half assumption.

"No, I do. It's great. It's just that my head is running wild today and I just can't focus."

"Hn. What are you thinking about?"he asked, always straight forward in his words.

"N-Nothing. Just random stuff" she said looking away.

He said nothing, even though she was pretty sure he caught the lie in her words.

"Excuse me Sasuke-kun, but I need to rest. I will see you later." Sakura said as she was getting up from the chair and heading to her room.

"Ah. And Sakura?"

"Yes Sasuke-kun?"

"You are a bad liar."

"W-when did I lie?" she asked, face half red already.

He got up as well and walked towards her."Earlier. When you said you didn't know what you were thinking about."

She stayed silent as he walked closer.

"In fact I _know_ what you were thinking about."

"Y-you do?"

"Ah." He took a breath. " If you don't want it, it will never happen again. I am sorry." he said, turning away from her, eyes looking embarrassedly at the floor.

_'Never happen again? But I want it to happen again. Could he be more wrong?' _  
"Sasuke-kun?" She walked in the kitchen where he was distracting himself by putting away the plates. He didn't even turn to face her.

She grabbed his hand and pulled him in for a hug. He tensed at first but relaxed instantly when he felt her head on his chest.

"Sasuke-kun?" she pulled away enough to look into his eyes, her hands still around him. He gave her a look that meant _continue._

"For someone whose eyes are as great as yours, you are pretty blind"

She didn't give him even a second to process her words before rising to the tip of her toes and kissing him.

Their second kiss was longer than their first. It wasn't a simple peck, but a lingering tender kiss that made her toes curl. And before she knew it, it was over. Her plan, to kiss him and then go to sleep because she was practically asleep already, crashed and burned when she leaned in for a second one. And she wasn't sure who started the third one.

She loved the sensation of his hand in her hair, of his chest pressed on hers, of his lips softly dancing with hers. But when her knees buckled it was a pretty clear message.  
She pulled away and went to her room with a smile on her red face.

He finished cleaning the kitchen before he laid down on the couch to sleep, a small smile grazing his lips.

A couple of hours later as she got out of her room to get a glass of water she almost forgot he was sleeping in her living room. After a couple of normal steps she started stepping lightly to avoid making any noise.

When she quenched her thirst she stood there to watch him. He looked so at peace, more at peace than she felt at the moment. Because he would leave again, and all those great things happening between them would leave with him.

There was no doubt about that. He couldn't stay, not yet. He didn't think he was forgiven yet, and no matter how long he had already been on his journey for atonement, it just wasn't over yet.

She understood that. But it was still a wound inside her chest.

_"Maybe next time" _he had said. Well this was the next time. And Sakura was determined to join him on his journey.

A knock sounded on her door, making Sasuke open his eyes.

'_What is it with those people, the decided to all make their year's visits in the same week? Shanaroo.'_

"Sakura-chan open up. I know you are in there."

Sakura sighed. Of course it had to be Naruto. The universe had apparently decided that she had gotten all her good luck of the day earlier so now she had to suffer.

Not that she hated Naruto, he was her comrade and she loved him, but three nights in a row with that loudmouth were simply too much to bare.

Seeing Sakura lost in thought, Sasuke rose and went to open the door.

"Oy Sasuke teme! Where is Sakura-chan? Anyway I thought we could-" the blonde tried to walk in the house but Sasuke extended his arm to block his way.

"What do you think you are doing?"he said in a menacing tone.

"Teme! I am just going to spend time with you ya know!"

" No" Sasuke said and slammed the door on the blonde's face.

Naruto went on a rampage, loudly banging on the door and yelling."Hey! Open up teme!"

"Go away" the Uchiha replied.

Sakura giggled. "He's not gonna go away you know..."

"Ah." he said and sat on the couch again. She joined him.

"So, what do you want to do?" Sakura asked loudly enough to be heard over the noise.

"Hitting someone has crossed my mind." he answered with a smirk.

She laughed lightly and playfully slapped his arm.

"How long do you think it will take him to figure out that he can unlock the chakra barrier Jutsu you placed on your door?"

"Well, when he comes by when I am not here, he usually uses the window. I don't think he does realize that there is a barrier Jutsu, just because he can get in easily."

"Usuratonkachi... " mumbled Sasuke with a small smirk.

Suddenly the knocking stopped.

He must be looking for the window, Sakura thought. And no surprise there, Naruto walked in the living room from her bedroom door.

"That was mean you guys. He pressured you to not open, Sakura-chan? "

Sakura giggled again, _-what was happening with her today, why was she so giggly?-_ and Sasuke let out a _heh_.

Naruto saw them laughing and pouted.

"You guys are so mean to me, ya know...and here I was just being kind and bringing food." Naruto complained as he showed some bags he was holding from Ichiraku.

"Oh don't pout you big baby!" Sakura joked. "We were just messing around."

"He is mean Sakura-chan, he turned you against me!"Naruto kept on nagging.

"Shut up dobe"

"See?!" He pointed ant his raven haired teammate using extravagant movements.

Naruto sat down next to Sasuke, leaving just a bit of space on the other side of the Uchiha. But that would be too close. Even the baka would think something was up between them if he saw them sit too close to each other.

Instead she went to the kitchen to bring the essential plates and other stuff so they could eat. She didn't need to set a table, there was no need for formalities amongst Team 7 members. They had seen each other in their best and in their worst, they could eat on the couch.

After a lot of talking, arguing and laughing together, long enough for Naruto to not have any complaints, Sakura pretty much shooed him out so she could have her daily healing session with Sasuke.

Sasuke didn't protest, not even with his gaze...he was used to it by now. After all, supposedly things were easier between himself and Sakura. She had shown she was just as interested as he was. She had kissed him this time. It was a clear sign that she still harbored feelings for him, even after all this time. Even after the dark past surrounding him.

As usual they sat across one another on the couch and Sakura entangled her hands in his raven locks, sending soothing chakra to his head.

He could feel the effects of her healing touch in his every moment. It didn't hurt in the mornings anymore and he hadn't gotten a headache since he had woken up at the hospital.

He was grateful. It had been hard living with a constant ache and nothing to do about it, though he would never admit it.

Sakura fell back to her medic mode as she knelt in front of him on the couch and focused on sending healing chakra to his ocular nerve endings. She had closed her eyes in concentration, and that gave him free access to look at her calming face.

He mostly focused on the Byakugou seal on her forehead, the true testament of her power. She had surprised everyone when, in the battle against the Juubi, she took down a third of the monsters by herself, even him. He had known a very different Sakura and seeing her release an S-rank technique mastered only by Tsunade definitely earned her his respect.

Once he stopped feeling the extra chakra he looked at her eyes, only to find them staring at the floor. She retracted her hands with a blushing face.

Amusement filled his one visible eye at her shyness... What...she couldn't look directly at him? He had showed her how he felt and she had responded in the same way.

He watched her inhale and then exhale, getting mentally ready to say something, he guessed.

"Everything seems to be going well Sasuke-kun. There is some definite progress. In a couple of days there won't be a need for more healing."

Suddenly she gave him a sullen glance before returning to her attempts to look at anywhere else than him. She quickly hid that sadness under a smile before he could comment on it.

He knew she would most likely retire to her room as soon as she could, as she tended to do these last three nights, to hide her nervousness...

His sole hand went to her chin to make her meet his eyes. He said nothing, he just looked at her, trying to figure out what to say.

He didn't want her to be embarrassed nor shy. It was pretty clear that there was something between them even to someone like him, who had a very small amount of social contract for quite a long time. But though he usually didn't understand people, with her he was sure she felt at least a fraction of what he felt. So he didn't want her to avoid looking at him, he wanted her by his side for the little while they could be together before he left again.

"Sasuke-kun? Is the-"

He silenced her with his warm gaze. It was rare to see warmth from eyes that were cold more often than not, but to her it seemed quite usual these last few days.

"Don't leave yet."

It was a simple request, or demand when it came to him, and she couldn't resist.

Time with Sasuke was something she always dreamed of, and actually doing it was better than she had imagined. She really enjoyed his company, and the kissing part, though unexpected, was something she cherished.

'_If only I didn't turn crimson every time...Shanaroo!'_

There it was again...that constant call between their bodies, pulling them closer. This time it wasn't rushed, it wasn't an impulse. It felt like a need buried deep inside her bones, leading her to him.

To him, it was a way to show her she mattered to him, in a way his words never could. There was no one else for him, of that much he was certain. But since he couldn't vocalize his thoughts all that well, that was the only thing he could think of.

Besides, even he couldn't deny that it felt great connecting with Sakura.  
Slowly but surely the got closer to each other, their lips uniting in a soft kiss.

After the kisses they had already exchanged, one would think she would be used to the way his lips felt.

If she hadn't felt them for herself, she wouldn't have guessed how warm they were. How warm he was. All that seemingly cold exterior, hiding warmth beneath.

Then again, according to Nindaime Hokage Tobirama, the Uchiha weren't cold people, but just the opposite. The burning fire inside them made them scary to someone who didn't know them. But she did know him, and he let her find out more about him this past week, just a little bit every passing day.

She was more shocked than him when a small moan escaped her at the contact. Kissing him was a dream come true for her. A dream she had hoped for since childhood.

The moan she let out sent all kinds of vibrations down his spine, vibrations that he had never felt before. Vibrations he shouldn't be feeling now, not if he wanted to sleep peacefully at night.

But the exhilarating feeling in his chest made him pay no mind to the restraining orders his brain kept giving him. Instead, his hand went to the back of her neck, touching strands of her longer now hair. Not as long as back in their Gennin days but just as he remembered when he left after the war.

He could feel her tremble a bit and he took satisfaction in the way her arms went behind his head as well, the desire to pull him closer evident in her actions.

Their lips kept meeting again and again, each time sending chills up and down her spine. Her right hand lowered to stroke his torso, sliding across the plains of his broad chest.

A shiver went through him, not so much for the move but because of the idea that she wanted to move things further. He didn't know if he could reign in his self control if she made other suggestive motions like that one. Kami knows that his restrain was decreasing by the moment.

She felt his tongue on her lips, quietly asking for entrance. It was a new sensation for her, but she couldn't help the small moan slipping out of her mouth at the contact. That moan encouraged him to slide his hand down her spine and pull her closer by the waist.

It felt good to be so close with Sasuke. But it was still not good enough. She wanted to feel him, to really feel him against her body. Slowly getting bolder by each stroke of his tongue against hers, she finally gathered up the courage to bring her body closer to his own.

Sasuke pulled back. He was at a loss. Ok, things were getting a bit heated but at a normal pace. But her crawling on his lap was not something he could handle.

The way her hips moved as she kissed him sent him into a frenzy. Crazy dominating thoughts flash passed through his mind, her... lying under him, their naked bodies tangling together in a passionate rhythm, her screaming his name as her face contorted in pleasure...

No. He couldn't go there yet. He shouldn't go there yet.

It was too soon, not how it was supposed to be between them... He didn't want to simply bed her before he left her alone again. He wanted to love her the way she deserved to be loved, to make love to her, to make a home with her, but that wasn't in the cards just yet. So he just couldn't...no matter how hard his body was pressuring him.

"Sakura get off".

The sad look she gave him as she distanced herself a bit, showed him he might have sounded a bit too harsh. She sat on the other edge of the couch, blushing quietly.

"What were you thinking? Testing my self control Sa-ku-ra?"

"No Sasuke-kun. I-"

"We...we can't."

"I- I am sorry Sasuke-kun. I don't know what got over me. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

'_Is that disappointment written in her features?'_

"Tch. You didn't."

"Then why di-"

"We just can't." Her face fell.

"I understand Sasuke-kun."

He could still see mixed emotions flashing vividly across her face. Shock, disappointment, sorrow, self doubt. It was clear as day that she had misunderstood why he had stopped her, but explaining was just too hard.

Yet, the more she looked shamefully at the floor, he knew he couldn't end tonight like that.

He touched her cheek with his fingers. That made her jump a bit. He immediately pulled back, but he had gotten her attention.

"Sakura."

No reply.

The tension in her brow told him she had something to say but held it in. The stubbornness of that woman competed even with his own. And he wouldn't have it any other way.

"Sakura."

Her dam broke and words poured out of her mouth in a surprising speed.

"What the hell Sasuke-kun? First you pull me in and then you send me away? If you don't want me then you shouldn't have to act like- "

"Tch." he said with a smirk." Who said I don't want you?"

"Huh?"

"Sakura, I do. Want you. It's just th-"

"That you don't find me attractive?"

Damn her jumping to conclusions.

How could he not find her attractive? Was she blind? Couldn't she see how beautiful she was? How inviting her face was? How seductive her body was?

Not wanting her wasn't his problem. Wanting her too much was his problem. But how the hell could he explain that to her?

"Just listen to me, damn it."

Sakura was shocked at his outburst, even if he didn't raise the tone of his voice at all. She just stood there flabbergasted, knowing that whatever he was about to say would be important. Seeing her expression he let out a chuckle.

"I don't play games with you, Sakura. I want you."

"Then why won't you-"

"Do you have any idea how hard it is to hold back when you look at me with those eyes? Do you have any idea what you do to me? Don't test me Sakura." he said in a low voice.

She just blushed and shied away at his intense gaze. The fire in his eyes shocked her, she hadn't seen it like that before.

At that moment he didn't know what was more inviting to him, the seductive gaze she had on earlier or the cute blush he had grown fond of.

He touched her chin, trying to reunite her eyes with his own.

"Sakura look at me." his tone commanded, instantly getting her attention. He breathed in and out before talking again. "I am not good at this. At words. But there is no one else for me."

He kissed her lightly, effectively silencing all her thoughts and stealing all the words from her mouth.

She just stood there in a daze and he couldn't help but feel a little proud of himself for expressing what he was thinking without misunderstandings. Kami knows that had happened more than a few times to him.

She seemed to have understood what he meant, but being in her daze gave Sasuke a hard time reading her. He pulled away, silently studying her. It didn't take her long to snap out of what he guessed was a long chain of thoughts.

"Sasuke-kun I..."she paused, processing her many thoughts, "Arigato" she said while approaching him for a hug.

It wasn't as intense as their kisses earlier, so she guessed she could get away with it. She was beyond happy when he hugged her back and held her close with his hand. She felt safe in his arms for some reason, it felt like a shelter where she would be protected, which wasn't far from the truth.

She reluctantly pulled out of his embrace, bidded him goodnight and retreated to her room with a bright grin on her face.

_Damn. _

Letting her leave proved to be a greater challenge than he thought it would be. She hadn't been gone two seconds and his body was already missing her warmth.

Maybe stopping her wasn't such a good idea. Half his body was regretting it, specifically the lower half, but he knew it was the right thing to do. It wasn't their time yet.

He would be leaving after two more days, leaving her alone once again for who knew how long.

If his judgment hadn't relapsed he wouldn't have kissed her. He was saving that for a time when he would be able to stay with her, to build a family with her. Now he had given her something that would be taken away in a few days' time. A cruel game of fate.

The small smile that was forming on his lips at the memory of the sensation of her kisses though, told him he was happy it had happened.

Thinking about their time together, past and possible future, he slowly drifted off to sleep.

**Well? What did you think? Please tell me what you liked, disliked and loved…it really helps. You know where that review button is… so go and tell me what you thought…**

**Thanks again for reading it.**

**Until next time…**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hello again dear readers! Thank you so much for all the wonderful reviews, I swear I was skipping around for the whole day's length every time I got one. I think my friends got tired of hearing how exited I was! **

**A special thanks this time to my good friend K.P. Thank you so much JuJu, I couldn't have done it without your help and guiding. **

**Well, as I promised, this chapter has some angst, don't hate me too much, you must have known it was coming. I think it turned out pretty well. **

**I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it. (Not their fight, the chapter XD)**

**Well… here we go!**

Chapter 7

The moment she opened her eyes, a warm feeling washed over her.

She had finally rested long enough for those dark circles under her eyes to vanish. She felt replenished and full of energy, which made sense since she had slept for thirteen hours straight.

By the height of the sun shining annoyingly bright through her window, she could tell it was more noon than morning. Yet she had no regrets...she had earned this. It was her first day off in two hectic weeks and she planned to use it to the fullest.

It wasn't just the rest that made her feel great, though. She was smart enough to admit that what was happening with Sasuke was the thing that gave her a happiness boost. It was like, everything she wanted all those years, finally becoming real and not just thoughts and desires. And the way things were going last night was thrilling to her. It made all the years waiting for him worth it.

He wanted her.

She couldn't believe it. He wanted her. After all those times pushing her away and ignoring her confessions twice, the realistic part of her was sure that nothing would happen between them, ever. But now this.

She couldn't believe it. It was like a dream. A great dream. And if Naruto was the one to wake her up she would punch his lights out, future Hokage or not.

She snuggled in her sheets happily, mostly because this wasn't a dream. By the way her body tingled, she knew it was all real. The way his hand had traced her back up and down, the way his long raven locks tickled her cheeks, the way he tasted, all real.

In any case, she doubted her imagination was powerful enough to make up all those marvelous sensations. At least not that accurately. Unless her need for him had grown to those levels. Nah, she couldn't have imagined it.

She decided to get up. She wanted to see him, to make absolutely sure that all those things weren't a dream. It wouldn't be the first time she had dreamt of him coming home. And maybe if she was lucky, she would get to make some of those dreams into a reality.

She got out of bed only to walk to an empty living room. She opened her senses, no, he wasn't in the house. She extended her chakra a bit, he wasn't in her garden either.

Where could he be? She checked the time, it was 13:46.

She laughed at herself, a supposedly early riser. It made sense he went out, she would be bored too if she had to stay alone in a house for five hours. She may not like that she couldn't see him but she understood.

Besides, if he went to train with Naruto, she would get to join them.

She had missed training regularly but with her tight schedule it just wasn't possible for every day. But at least her power was based on chakra control, and she got plenty of practice on that at the hospital. In the off chance they went to war again, with almost always storing chakra for two years, she would even stronger than when they fought Kaguya.

There was breakfast on her table, his attempt to take care of her, no doubt. After eating, she would take a small shower and then head out to the training fields, she decided. 

Sasuke woke up with a gasp, covered in sweat. _Damn._

He just knew that being that close to Sakura would disturb his sleep. Not that he complained, but he couldn't have her see him in that condition. _He_ couldn't see her in that condition, he wouldn't be able to control his urges.

Right before he woke up, he had dreamt of her moaning his name and Kami knows he wanted more than that noise being a manifestation of his imagination.

Luckily for him, her bedroom door was still closed, she was most likely asleep.

He went to the bathroom to take a cold shower so he wouldn't have to test his restrain.

Stepping out of the shower, her door was still closed and if he focused he could hear her light snoring from the other side of that door. He chuckled. Remembering their childhood missions, she only snored when she was exhausted, so he didn't want her to wake up. She needed all the rest she could get.

After a while of her not resurfacing, he decided to make them breakfast. By the time he was done she was still out of sight so he decided to eat.

An hour had passed, and he was now completely bored. There was not a single thing to do to keep him busy. He thought about training with Naruto, but he had had enough of the Usuratonkachi in these last few days. That loser kept popping up everywhere, like every few hours, and after interrupting them once or twice, Sasuke had had his fill.

Maybe his former teacher... No he was always buried in paperwork now that he was the Hokage. He couldn't disturb him.

He decided that taking a look at the newly rebuilt Konoha wouldn't be too bad. He wanted to see more of the village, his village.

Walking absentmindedly through the city for a while he found himself at the place his old apartment used to be. The place he had lived in after the Uchiha massacre and until leaving the village in search of revenge. A boy of eight, living alone, drowning in depression and thoughts or hatred and vengeance. Not things any child should bear.

It could poison your mind and your entire life, but so many kids all around the world had met similar fates due to the war. That's why he admired Sakura's work at the Children Mental Hospital. It helped assure that lives like the one he used to lead, would be avoided.

In his old apartment's place now was a Gaming store. Not that he could blame Konohagakure for not rebuilding his old apartment. After all, when Pein launched his attack, Sasuke was still in Konoha's Bingo Book, listed as a dangerous criminal.

Still, it left a sour taste in his mouth, as it was solid proof that all remnants of his past were erased.

No.

Not all.

It would still be there. Naruto had confirmed it. The place that was the source of all his nightmares had survived Pein's attack, due to being further away from the village.

The Uchiha district.

He knew he couldn't avoid it any longer. He had put it off for a long time. He knew that he had to go. And now was as good a time as any. Now that he knew the reality of his past and his present, he had to see it with clear eyes. He had to know. He had to see what was left. If anything was left. If there was anything remaining from the time he had been happy.

Slowly he started walking to the place that haunted him, in the meanwhile constantly getting flashbacks, as a defense of his mind to deter him from going to there.

But he was not swayed. He was not weak. Now was the time.

He would honor his brother's memory. He would go to the place of his childhood no matter how hard it was. 

After her shower, Sakura out on a pair of black jeans and a dark red shirt accompanied by her signature gloves and red headband and went out to find Sasuke.

Her first guess was that he had been at the training grounds with Naruto, but all he found was the blonde, training with a now fifteen year old Konohamaru at different versions of the Rasengan.

Asking him, he replied that he hadn't seen their teammate since their dinner the night before. Sakura's face fell. _Maybe Kakashi Sensei...?_

After running on rooftop after rooftop to the Hokage's office to ask her former teacher, his response was pretty much the same, that he hadn't seen nor heard from Sasuke at all that morning.

Being at a loss of where to look for him, she remembered the fact that he had purchased new clothing the other day to replace his damaged uniform. Maybe there was something else he needed to get, weapons or traveling gear or something, so she guessed he could be in the city.

Strolling around for some time and visiting every place he could have gone to, she had lost all hope of finding him.

No. It couldn't be. He couldn't have gone there.

His childhood home was a dark memory of his, so she guessed that he wouldn't be going there. At least not alone.

Then again, when it came to emotions and feelings, Sasuke had always been unpredictable.

It was a plausible explanation. He was nowhere to be found, and she refused to believe he had left the village a) before she completed healing his head and b) without saying goodbye. He wouldn't do that, even though the scary thought had crossed her mind.

Looking for him in the Uchiha district was the last place she thought he would be, but then again she had nothing to lose.

The place that housed all the Uchiha was deep into the forest south of Konoha. It was far enough that you wouldn't have thought that it was supposedly part of the village. Thank Danzo for forcing them to live isolated from Konoha's everyday life. A dark chapter in the Hidden Leaf's history.

But, no matter its dark past, she could deny its beauty.

Builders and masons had created a beautiful place, with broad marble streets and stone paths, fancy -used to be- stores and large carefully made houses. It was built like its beauty would hide the fact that one of Konoha's most powerful clans had been banished from the rest of the Leaf.

Sakura had never actually been to the Uchiha estate before.

She didn't know what to expect. Though there were no signs of the massacre, Sandaime sama must have taken care of that, this place always felt cursed to her for storing memories that tortured the man she had always loved.

A place that must have been full of life was now completely empty and quiet.

As she was walking around a lake and deeper into the district where she knew by stories his former residence had been, she couldn't help but be in awe.

She spotted a house larger than the rest. She had a feeling that must be it. Uchiha Fugaku, Sasuke's father, had been the leader of the clan so it made sense to honor him.

She stopped in her tracks.

If he was indeed inside, would he want to see her? Would he want her to be there?

Knowing he never talked about his past and his family, there was a chance he would be enraged at her being in such a private place for him.

But she couldn't waste this opportunity.

There was a chance he was inside, no matter how small, and she wouldn't risk it.

There was nowhere else to search for him. If he wasn't there either she would try to convince Ino to look for his brain signature.

She diminished her chakra. She didn't want him sensing her.

She told herself that if he was inside, she would leave him to his own thoughts. She doubted he would like for anyone to see him in a relatively weak state.

She walked through the large front garden and over the wooden porch surrounding the house. It was tricky being stealthy in a floor that creaked under her every step, but since she didn't hear anything from inside, she guessed she either had managed pretty well or that Sasuke wasn't here after all. The second option seemed more rational by the second. He had always been perceptive so there wasn't a single chance he hadn't heard her footsteps.

She planned to open the door open as silently as she could so she could look inside, but she noticed it was slightly ajar.

Peeking into the house, she couldn't help the silent gasp that escaped her at noticing his presence, kneeling at the floor with his back facing the door she was standing at.

Up until the last moment she was almost certain that he wouldn't be in there. But there he was.

True to her word to herself, she started backing away to leave him in his own thoughts.

She paused when she noticed his back trembling slightly. Any average eye wouldn't catch the subtle move, but she was a shinobi and a damn good one.

At first she expected yelling, thinking he was shaking from sheer fury. But his anger never came.

Realization hit her with full force.

Now it made sense how come he hadn't reacted to her being there. In any other case he would be aware of her presence since before she entered the house garden, if not from even further away.

All doubts and thoughts of leaving him alone vanished as she watched him quietly sob. He looked almost broken. It was heartbreaking.

She guessed that was where he had seen his parents die, his family get destroyed for good.

She ran up to him, hugging him from behind, feeling his body tense and quake as sobs run through him.

"Sasuke-kun..." she stopped herself.

There was nothing she could say. There was nothing she should say.

She wondered how long he had been there.

The tears in his eyes were fresh but there had also been dried ones lining his face. The only thing she could do was wait. Be there for him and wait. Wait until he was ready to open up. Show him she would be there for him for as long as he wanted her.

In a sudden movement that challenged the speed of taijutsu he flung himself around and into her arms.

She half expected yelling and curses, even pain, though she doubted it, but not him expressing a need for consolation. No words were needed when he felt his arm tightening around her body and him breaking down and openly sobbing against her chest.

"You are not alone."

It took him some time but he calmed down eventually, his breathing evening out and his trembling ceasing.

"You are not alone." Sakura repeated. "Not anymore."

He pulled away just enough so he could look into her viridian eyes. She took a breath. "Never again."

Upon hearing her calming words, he placed his hand on her cheek and kissed her forcefully.

Even though the kiss was powerful and full of need it lasted only a few seconds, its purpose being confirmation. Confirmation of the strong bond between the former avenger and Konoha's top medical Ninja.

She looked down. "Sasuke-kun, take me with you!" she said quickly, as if not to lose her courage, before looking back at his eyes defiantly, daring him to deny her, as she knew he would.

He didn't reply. _No_ was written clearly across his features.

He couldn't take her with him, he wouldn't do that to her. Her life was in Konoha, not traveling endlessly around the world with a former criminal atoning for past sins. It wasn't an easy life. It wasn't a good life.

He wouldn't do that to her.

Since she seemed to ignore the refusal in his expression, he verbalized it for her.

"No."

"I have made up my mind Sasuke-kun. I am going."

"Sakura, no you are not."

"It's not up to you." she raised her voice just to show her irritation at his commanding attitude.

"Sure as hell is. It's a journey to atone for my sins. It has nothing to do with you." he snapped.

The same words again. And though last time they had pretty much silenced her wishes, this time they only added fuel to her stubbornness. She had decided it in her heart she would join him and nothing would stop her this time.

"The last time you said that maybe the next one I could join you." She suddenly stood up, staring down at him, showing her resolve on the matter.

The glare he gave her would have shut her up at any other time, but she didn't back down. She wouldn't back down. Not this time.

"You can't come." The tension was evident in his tone of voice.

"But I want to s-"

He stood up as well, making certain she knew he was just as confident in his decision. Now he had the upper hand in that game of glares between them, as he was a head taller than she was. "Doesn't matter." Sasuke ground out.

"Doesn't matter, huh?" She was speaking loudly by now, anger evident in her tone. "And what about what has happened between us Sasuke-kun? Does that not matter as well?"

"IT'S DANGEROUS DAMN IT." he yelled just as loudly.

She was fuming.

Did he still thought she was weak? That she still needed protection? That she would be a burden? After all those things proving her strength, her worth as a Shinobi?

Still, the fact that he had raised his voice was a small shock. He had never yelled before, not to her. It made her hesitant.

"I don't care."

"You can't come. That's final." he said, voice now remorseful, and stood up to leave.

That signaled the end of any conversation on the matter that day, but she was determined not to stay behind this time. She wouldn't stay in Konoha, for who knew how long, waiting for him and sentencing both of them to loneliness, when she could join him. When she could help him.

She would join him. And there was nothing he could do about it.

Angrily exhaling, she got up and raced back to her house. She wouldn't let him get there first.

As two equally stubborn personalities, she just knew that this fight would continue.

And whoever reached her home first would most likely have the high ground. 

Running over the rooftops she managed to reach her house first, even though he was within sight just a few moments behind her.

She knew he could see her so she didn't turn around to wait, not even letting the door open for him. He could get in on his own anyway, so she didn't bother.

Just as he entered the house she was slamming her bedroom door behind her. That was enough for one day, she thought.

She wouldn't show any more anger signs, but she would ignore him until he got the message that she was right and accepted her.

Their evening flowed relatively quiet but full of frustration on both sides.

The only interaction was when, at some point after a few hours, she came out of the room, went to the kitchen to get something to eat, placed a plate in front of him - just a bit forcefully - and went back to her room, all without a single word.

Just as she had expected, he was lying on the couch staring at the ceiling, a frown decorating his face.

It was now nightfall and she couldn't avoid him any longer.

They had to have his regular healing session. His health deteriorating was something she wouldn't allow, no matter her frustration at his stubbornness. It was just something she wouldn't risk.

Again, without a word escaping her lips, she exited her room and headed towards where the couch was.

As if sensing her intent, he rose from his lying position to face her on the couch, frown now gone, with a look she couldn't exactly understand.

Following their standard procedure, she placed once again her hands on his head as they shone with the color of life. She felt him relax against her touch and took pride in the fact that he was almost completely healed and ready to go.

Well...not just pride, but a bit of sorrow as well. He would leave, and in the chance that he wouldn't let her join him, she didn't want to part on those terms.

Before she could open her mouth to apologize for pushing him right after him having an emotional breakdown, he opened his first.

"Sorry." he paused. "For yelling."

After exhaling she replied. "It's ok."

"But you can't come. It's... It's dangerous." he said, his voice barely a whisper, but she heard him loud and clear.

"I meant what I said, I don't care. I can protect myself."

"Sakura... I'm serious."

"So am I Sasuke-kun."

'_So she isn't backing down.' _

She didn't relent with him being loud, nor with him being quiet and solemn. Maybe he could try a different approach.

"Sakura please... It's not a good life."

Well now she was shocked. Did he just say please? Sasuke Uchiha never begged, never apologized, and he had done both of those unimaginable for him things in a matter of mere moments.

The safest way now was to let him explain himself, so she remained silent.

"I don't... I don't want you to suffer at my expense. I...I don't want you to be burdened by my past sins."

There it was, the sadness was written clearly in his eyes along with his guilt. He avoided her gaze.

"Sasuke-kun?" Sakura said, trying to make him look at her eyes again, hoping he would see the determination in them. After a while of him looking down, he finally reunited their gazes.

She smiled at him for a bit before lowering her body and hugging his torso, her face against his beating heart.

"Sasuke-kun... " she whispered against his chest "I know it won't be easy and I know it will be dangerous, but I will be fine." She tried to defuse the tension with a joke. "I may not look it, but I am a little strong."

He chuckled softly, his hand intertwining with her hair, keeping her close.

"I know...but please Sakura... rethink it."

"Only if you rethink letting me come Sasuke-kun."

He huffed, she was just not backing away no matter what he tried. That woman could easily compete with him in matters of strong headedness.

He was at a loss.

What could he do to show her that that life wasn't for her? That she deserved better?

If not even kindly asking didn't work, there wouldn't be many things he could do to bring the desired result.

What was so hard for her to grasp? It would be hard and long and full of danger and discomfort. Why would she possibly want to go?

Then again, shifting through his memories, this was the third time she had offered.

She was one of the cleverest kunoichis in the world, so why would she repeatedly ask for something that would be bad for her? He just couldn't understand. She had always wanted to help him, not caring what happened to her in the process.

Well he cared, and he wouldn't willingly let her endanger herself, just for him. He was adamant, but so was she. Neither was retreating, both fighting to the very end.

He had no other choice but to slightly back down for now, hoping and praying to Kami that he would change her mind, while she tried to change his own.

"Hn" he answered after a few moments, with just a hint of doubt on his tone.

Him holding her, Sakura felt at peace. She was lost in his embrace and she didn't want to let go. She could hear the steady beating of his heart.

Under normal circumstances, she wouldn't be very comfortable in that particular stance, with her legs on the floor, her body half sitting on the couch and half midair so her head and upper body could be lying on top of his own. But in that moment, none of that mattered, she was entirely content and wouldn't trade that moment for anything.

Sasuke was having a hard time being as relaxed as she seemed to be, and the reason for that was mostly her.

It was definitely different from her sitting on his lap like the night before, but it got almost the same response from him. His heart was beating faster, the back of his neck was sweating and shivers ran up and down his body. The difference between then and now was the fact that then was a moment of passion while this was a moment of comforting.

He loved the way her body relaxed against his chest but his imagination, combined with his dream last night that started pretty much the same way, weren't making it easy for him to relax. He was on edge. Then again he mostly was on edge whenever she got too close.

Kami, her sent drove him wild. But he didn't want to do anything to ruin the moment. If he set aside his recently raging hormones, this moment would have been perfect.

She was at peace and she radiated that peace to him. She had a way of passing what she was feeling to other people around her. That was one of the reasons she was one of the most beloved Shinobi in Konohagakure, to both other Ninja and civilians alike. It was her calming aura that calmed him earlier, it was her calming aura that was soothing him now.

And it was...

Nice.

It was nice being with her. She was the light in his shadow, the hope of spring to his ongoing winter.

If that was her plan, to make him realize he enjoyed having her around, it was working, though something like that wasn't enough for him to sentence her in a fate similar to his own.

What would their friends think, what would the village think, of the avenger taking with him one of their most valuable shinobi, not to be seen again for an extended period of time? Would Kakashi allow him to do that? Would Tsunade hime let him live?

Taking her with him just wasn't possible.

But when he heard her sigh and snuggle closer to his neck, a part of him wished he could.

At the length of his train of thought, Sasuke didn't realize that Sakura was a bit more relaxed than how she had previously been. Her breathing had evened out and her face held a soothing serenity to it as she had descended in the land of dreams.

At moments like these, no one could deny how beautiful she was.

Her unique pink hair, her luminous teal, now closed, eyes, her cute small nose, her rosy lips. She had grown to be a true beauty. Konoha's rose. How could he steal her away?

The answer was simple. He couldn't.

He needed to get her to her bed. Surely spending the entire night like this would cause her no small amount of sore muscles and joints.

But with only one hand he couldn't carry her without dropping her. And manifesting a Susano'o arm was out of the question. It was a technique he didn't mind using, but if she found out he used the Mangekyo despite her clear orders not to, she would pummel him.

And the thought of Sakura out to get him, no matter his own powers, was definitely something he didn't want to experience.

Part of him thought he should let her sleep on the couch and him on the floor, but with the way she kept tightening her arms around her neck every time he moved, he guessed fate had other plans.

As smoothly as possible, he laid down on the couch, pulling her on top of him, making sure she would be comfortable.

When he was satisfied with their position, he felt her snuggle closer once more. He chuckled at her adorableness, like a small child hugging its plush toy tightly.

He breathed in and out.

'_This is going to be a hard night.' _he thought before falling asleep as well.

**Sooo? What did you think? I think we could all assume that this fight was coming, right? There was no chance our dear Sasuke would agree without some sort of quarrel.**

**In any case I didn't want to drag out their fight for too long, I have read fics like that and it gets tiring after a while, though on the other hand, Sasuke taking her with him without protest seems out of character. So I thought the middle ground of them fighting and stopping in a sort of peace would be the best way.**

**Anyway, I hope you liked it…but I won't really know unless you write a review…**

**Bye for now, see you next time!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hello again dear Sasusaku worshipers. It's been a while I know, and I am so sorry but due to semester exams at the university, my writing time, as well as inspiration has been reduced to a bare minimum. Gomen!**

**I would like to thank all of you who reviewed and urge more people to let me know what you liked, what you didn't like, things like that.**

**I shouldn't stall, so here we go!**

Chapter 8

Sakura woke up softly due to a pounding sound.

It didn't take her long to figure out it was the beating of a heart. His heart.

She tensed a bit as the memories of last night started returning to her. The Uchiha district, Sasuke breaking down, their "difference of opinions", she didn't want to call it a fight, them coming to an understanding. Her, falling asleep in his arms. It wasn't intentional in any way, she had just felt really relaxed and tiredness caught up to her.

Oh the embarrassment. What would he think? What would he say? But most importantly how come he didn't put her in her bed to sleep more comfortably on his own?

The position was bound to be uncomfortable for him, lying sideways on a narrow couch with a grown person resting practically on top of him. And yet as his arm held her close so she wouldn't fall off, she couldn't help but feel great.

The calm, steady rhythm of his pulse against her cheek made her feel safe, secure. Loved.

Even though part of her knew that wasn't the case. It was too soon to have those kind of thoughts. Yet, she couldn't help but hope.

It was a good sign right? He wouldn't have let her sleep on him if he didn't feel at least something...

But what if? What if he tried to get her off and she had clinged to him while he didn't want something like that to happen? What if she had pressured him in any way? What if he she had done something he didn't want? Would he even want something like that?

No. Most likely not.

Sasuke Uchiha had always had a thing for boundaries. Yet the Sasuke Uchiha of the past week tended to act a bit different when it came to her and the between them interactions.

No. He was still the same person, he wouldn't want her sleeping with him.

So that left one possibility. In some way she had let him no choice.

Maybe he couldn't get her to wake up. Maybe he couldn't carry her to her bed due to missing an arm. Maybe he couldn't lift her. Now, as well as self doubt, the thought of her getting fat started to wander endlessly through her mind.

She was now in a state of panic. If he didn't want her to sleep on him, then he would most likely not want her there when he woke up.

She had to get away somehow. But she couldn't. His arm was wrapped around her small body, holding her to him.

She slowly started trying to softly slither away from on top of him but his grip was firm. She actually felt it getting firmer around her as she tried to get off.

"What are you doing?" he asked, sleep evident in his voice.

She blushed a vivid red." Sasuke-kun, sorry I-"

"It's too early. Go back to sleep." he basically commanded as he pulled her up again, this time her face was resting against the crook of his neck.

Sakura felt the heat on her face and was certain that her cheeks held at least a pink hue. Yet, she couldn't help but feel elated. So all of her mind rambling earlier was totally wrong. Kami what was wrong with her these last few days? Why was she so nervous about every little thing?

He could hear her inhale and exhale hurriedly, proof she was not asleep yet, plus he could feel her mouth against his neck open as if to say something and close again.

"Stop it." He said evenly.

Silence met him and he could feel her eyes on him. Was she holding her breath?

"Stop over thinking and sleep. You still have time before your shift starts."

Again she said nothing. The only thing that left her mouth was a small sigh, he would most likely not have noticed, except for the fact that he felt it on his neck.

Shivers run through him. The multiple sensations filling his head made it hard for him to relax and fall asleep again.

He felt her small body on top of his, her warmth passing through their clothes and going straight to his core, their legs entangled, their chests pressed together, her hair teasing the sensitive skin of his neck along with her even now breaths. That woman would be the death of him without a doubt.

What was the hardest of all was the constant thought of how easy it would be to turn them around to lie on top of her. To kiss her. To feel her under him, around him. To love her, to make love to her. To get that moan he had been dreaming of since he first kissed her. It was too damn easy.

Easy enough to test his restrain.

He held her now sleeping body closer to him with his sole arm. It was the only thing he would allow himself to feel at the moment. It was the only thing that wouldn't snap his self control.

Her embrace. Her warmth. The feeling of her against his chest. It was the only thing he could trust himself with.

Sleep was hard in the condition his mind was in, images shuffling behind his eyes at light speed, but he managed it somehow for a little while. That was until he felt a poke on his forehead.

Opening one eye he saw Naruto leaning over them on the couch, eying him with a suspicious gaze and a smug grin that just begged to be punched. The dobe was lucky that it wasn't Sakura the one who woke up. Either way, he was in for a world of pain.

"What?!"he hissed, careful not to wake the beauty on his chest.

"Something you want to share, teme?" Naruto whispered while wiggling his eyebrows.

"Tch. Get out!" he snapped, and though it was only a whisper, it held a great warning towards his extremely annoying teammate.

Of all the people to walk in on that moment, it just had to be the dobe. His luck couldn't worsen. Actually no, Kakashi would have been way worse. And Tsunade would have been his death.

"Fine, fine. It's not like I expected to find something like this, ya know? How come you guys slept together? Have you finally rea-"

"Get out or I will kill you" Sasuke warned, his Sharingan activating to show he was serious. They both knew he most likely wouldn't kill him, but a little fear never hurt when it came to the Usuratonkachi.

"Fine fine." Naruto whispered back and held up his hands in surrender. "But will you and Sakura-chan join me for training at sundown? A last spar before you leave again, ya know?"

"If you don't leave now, you won't have regained consciousness by sundown."

Surprisingly it wasn't Sasuke that spoke, but a groaning Sakura. Sasuke felt her stir against his body and stretch her muscles just a bit. Her trembling on top of him wasn't doing good things for his concentration.

"Oy Sakura-chan, you're so mean, ya know? I bet Teme is influencing you. "

"Narutoo." A final warning.

"Fine, I am leaving. See you then." he said and barely dodged the cushion aiming for his head.

She relaxed against him as she heard the front door shutting behind that stupid teammate of theirs.

"Good morning." he said, his voice nothing but a smooth whisper.

She raised her head to look into his eyes. "Good morning Sasuke-kun. How did you sleep?"

"Fine. You?"

Sakura gave him a beaming smile, knowing _Fine _was pretty much all she would get. And it was plenty, when it came to him. "Actually great! I am sorry for falling asleep on you. It was an accident, I swear it."

"Ah, I know."

"I hope it wasn't too uncomfortable Sasuke-kun? I wasn't too heavy, was I?"

"Tch." he gave her a small touch of lips and she replied with a soft smile.

That little kiss was the cause of a wicked idea forming in her head. What was wrong with a little teasing? After all he teased her all the time. Besides, she would prove to him that it was enjoyable to have her around. She would be going on that journey and there was nothing he could do about it other than accept the fact.

Sakura laid her head down on his chest again, and stretched her body sleepily.

'She has to be doing it on purpose', he thought. There was no chance she was giving him such a show unconsciously. Her body lithely bending and stretching, her chest being pushed upwards in his line of vision as she arched her back, her head sliding against his neck and breathing down on him temptingly, her legs, one by one, expanding in the air until she heard a satisfying _pop_.

That little vixen had to know what she did to him. Not to mention the constant grinding against his body as she not so innocently stretched.

"Sakura..." he gave her a warning look. "Stop it."

By the grin on her face he was sure now that she indeed had some knowledge of what she was doing. She may not have known the full extent of what she was doing to him, but she had a playfulness on her face that told him she suspected. And she kept on doing it. Most of his doubts disappeared when she innocently asked "I don't know what you mean Sasuke-kun. Stop what?"

In an instant, her back hit the surface of the couch and she found her body trapped by the last Uchiha who was hovering over her.

"Sakura..."he groaned "don't test me."

The grin never left her face, as she gave him a seductive expression. Her hands that were lying at her sides started sliding up his ribs, softly tracing each and every one of them until they settled at his back.

"Am I?" she quirked her eyebrow. "How? What did I do that's testing you?"

Sakura was proud of herself. She had found a playful seductiveness she was comfortable with, and by the way his face got a red tinge at her teasing words, she guessed she was pretty good at it.

She just couldn't help it when Sasuke was involved, with no one else she felt the need to flirt. But with him it was different, especially now that he was showing signs of being interested as well. She liked causing him new emotions, for she knew he, just like herself, didn't know that part of themselves. It was a new thing to discover and she would discover it with him.

"You know what you did." he hissed, trying to deny the fact that her soft hands tracing absent minded shapes on his neck and back sent jolts all over his body.

"What did I do, Sasuke-kun?" Innocence was written in her features, and if he didn't know any better, he would never have guessed that the sweet little girl he trained with was so openly teasing his body as well as his mind.

He was just itching to give in, already tip toeing on the edge of his self control. He liked seeing this part of her he didn't know existed. It was somehow fitting, Konoha's beautiful flower being a little seductress. Then again all kunoichis were trained in the art of seduction in case it was needed for a mission, but he had never seen this side of her before. He bet not many people if any had seen it. No chance Tsunade would send her favorite student to do something as vile as seducing some creepy old man for information. He was most likely the only one that she had done something like this to. And Kami was it working.

Faster than he would like to admit, he felt his inhibitions and restrain slipping away into nothingness.

She used her hands on his back as leverage to lift her body just a bit so she could whisper in his ear. "Tell me Sasuke-kun? What did I do that tested you?"

He was done for.

A low groan was all that escaped his mouth as he pounced on her with a speed that took even him by surprise. She gasped as he kissed her passionately, giving him the opportunity to slide his tongue in her teasing mouth. She gave a little moan at the contact that set his senses on fire. Just what was she doing to him?

He hadn't expressed that sort of want for anyone ever before, but now the only thing he could think of was his need to feel her body closer. His hand slid under her waist, pulling her flush against him.

She felt her body burning from the multiple sensations, but that was to be expected. The Uchiha were people with fire in their spirit, him most of all, and as she was repeatedly teasing that flame inside him, she was bound to feel that fire lick her body, just like flames licking a piece of wood right before it caught on fire.

Such was the strength of the feelings he was causing her body to experience. Was it unusual to want him to feel something similar as well?

She ran her fingers through his silky hair, making him shiver when she pulled slightly. By the fact that his kisses gained in force, she guessed it was a good shiver.

She tested the waters, trying it again, this time a little more firmly but not enough to get painful, and elicited a contained growl out of him.

That woman would be the death of him.

How could she know what his body liked better than he did? How could she know exactly what to do to make him lose control?

If she kept this up, the fire inside him would break loose and swallow her whole. And the scariest part was that part of him wanted that to happen, wanted to join his body with hers.

His body needing her was something he couldn't entirely fathom. It was definitely unexpected. But he couldn't complain, not when he had her pinned underneath him. And even though he was on top of her, she was in control so far. But not for long...

He lowered his lips to trace her neck, as far as her shirt would let him. By the way she arched her back to give him more access, he knew he was the one on the offensive now. He was in control.

Kissing and licking up and down her neck and ear, despite the thrilling sounds she made, were suddenly not enough. His mind kept playing an image in his head, a mark, that he couldn't ignore.

He wanted to claim her. He wanted the whole world to know she was his, and his alone. As his hand traced lines on her sides as a distraction, he softly bit the side of her neck, soothed the sting with his tongue and then sucked, causing a little red mark to appear.

She moaned at the sudden sensation._ 'So she liked the bite, huh?'_

He repeated the action, this time resulting in a gasp accompanied by his name. "_Sasuke-kun..."_

She could feel his grin on the skin of her neck.

That smug bastard, enjoying teasing her and actually doing nothing about it. She was trembling with need, a need only he could fulfill. But how could she get him to touch her more? To do more? How could she get him to understand?

Even she didn't fully understand what she was feeling, let alone doing.

"Sasuke-kun?"

She felt him tense."Do you want me to stop?" he instantly asked. She could tell he was once again forcing his body to pull away.

She almost laughed. Instead she pulled him on her lips again, kissing him reassuringly.

"No. Just the opposite actually." She chuckled.

She could tell by his face that he didn't understand, that he didn't know how to proceed. The thought made her want to chuckle. The great Sasuke Uchiha, a genius, a veteran of many battles and one of the greatest Shinobi alive was completely lost at such normal human moments like this one.

"I don't want you to stop, I... I want...more." she explained with a redness on her face that matched his own upon hearing her words.

"Sakura... don't. Don't tempt me. I won't be able to control myself at all if you keep saying things like that."

"Then don't. I will let you know if I am uncomfortable with something. How does that sound?"

"I am worried I won't be able to stop. That I won't want to stop." Ah, there it was, the guilt behind his words. The fear of his past self.

"Don't worry Sasuke-kun. If I want you to stop, I can get even The Sasuke Uchiha to stop."

He chuckled at her comment. _She is right_, he thought, _she __is__ one of the strongest people alive. _

She brought him down to her lips, reigniting the passion between them.

Somewhere between kissing and nipping and devouring each other's mouths, she flipped them over, standing straight so she could straddle his lap.

She felt a particular sort of pride at his shocked expression, and even more when it turned seductive and challenging. She could swear, sexiness was something like a second nature to that man, she couldn't understand how he could go from any other expression to teasing in a matter of moments and making it seem completely natural.

She started grinding slowly, figuring out what she was comfortable with, all under his hungry gaze.

She didn't know when or how but she made contact with the Sharingan and her eyes instantly locked to his. She felt proud to have him want to memorize that moment in his brain, consciously or unconsciously it didn't matter. What mattered was the fact that he didn't want to forget.

Fine by her, she would give him an image he would never forget.

Her hand reached for his and traced it up her body to place it on her breast, indicating it was ok to touch her. She felt him twitch under her and saw him biting his bottom lip. His hand didn't move though.

Was he still having doubts of what she wanted? She moved her hand with his, showing him what she liked to feel, but he was still holding back. An evil thought crossed her mind.

She put some extra force in the movement of her hips, making sure he felt how much she wanted him to touch her, tilting her head back, enjoying the sensation of him pressing against her.

He groaned and rose to sit with her still on his lap, his eyes on her face the entire time. His hunger for her was just beginning to surface and he was partly surprised of its intensity. He kissed her mouth like a man dying of thirst and she was a cool spring of water, such was his need for Sakura.

While feeling her hips against where he needed her the most, he figured there was no reason to be holding back. He finally let his hand move as freely as it wanted against her pert breasts, touching and feeling and exploring the new territory. It was softer that what he imagined. And very sensitive if he could take into consideration the small noises that escaped her every time his fingers brushed through her hard nipple.

Suddenly, feeling that through her restricting clothing wasn't enough. He wanted to burn that image into memory. He wanted to see her reaction if he kissed her there. Could he take her shirt off? Would she let him?

He didn't have enough time to process that before she tore her shirt off her body in a speed that surprised both of them.

Sakura was overjoyed by the way his eyes widened slightly at the sight of her red bra. It was simple, nothing fancy, but by the way his eyes devoured her, she guessed he liked what he was seeing. The feral look his eyes were giving her sent thrills straight through her core.

Before she could even react, her back hit the couch and his lips were on her. Kami, were they on her...

He started kissing a hot trail from her neck, to her collarbones and down to the skin left uncovered by her bra while massaging her breasts with his arm.

Without even knowing when he took off her bra, her nipples suddenly felt the cold air, getting fully erect and causing her to shiver.

But he didn't let her tremble for long, at least not from the cold.

When his lips circled her right nipple, a different kind of trembling erupted from within her. Licking and sucking her nipple and teasing the other with his fingers while supporting his weight on his stump, Sasuke started exploring what kind of reactions he could draw out of her.

The small sounds that escaped her, as well as seeing Sakura being out of breath with her head falling back from the feeling he was giving her were making his blood boil.

Sakura was moaning his name repeatedly, satisfying his wish to hear that. Now he wished to make her those sounds as often as he could, knowing at the same time that he couldn't because he was leaving.

Not wanting his brain to go down a sad path and ruin the experience for him, he decided to experiment a bit. He licked his fingers to add to her pleasure to her other breast and went back to kissing behind her ear. She was extremely sensitive there and he would take full advantage of that.

Kiss after kiss, he felt her slowly but surely start to tense, her muscles tight with pleasure and her breathing labored.

"S-Sasuke-kun... please..." she moaned after a particularly hard suck on the side of her neck.

"What Sakura?" he whispered in her ear, blowing cold breaths at her now wet neck as his hand traced her other breast.

"Please." she panted.

Not desiring to be cruel and leave her on the verge of pleasure, in addition to the fact that he wanted to see her cross that line, he decided to help her get there some moments faster.

Flicking her nipple repeatedly at the same time as suddenly biting her earlobe and whispering her name in hot breaths in her ear was all it took to get her over the edge.

Frankly, he was surprised, he knew she must have been kind of close by the way she kept panting and moaning his name, but still... to get her to climax over simple kisses and touches wasn't something he thought he could do.

Then again, he knew this was her first time being touched by a man, Naruto kept repeating over and over in most of his letters that she had rejected many men waiting for him to return, so it was natural for her to be sensitive.

She was pure, waiting for him, even without knowing if he would ever reciprocate her feelings. Thinking about that made him feel guilty for keeping her waiting all this time, but seeing her come pushed all other thoughts away from his mind.

She sure was a sight to behold. Part of him was glad he was the first man who had seen her like this and part of him hoped he would be the only one as well. Letting her go after everything they had been through together seemed out of the question.

She trembled and moaned as her body violently shook with pleasure. He loved seeing her melt because of his ministrations, there was a deep feeling of pride that was involved.

And all of that just by stimulating her breasts... He wondered how would she react if he were to kiss, to touch, to please her most private place. He definitely wanted to see her falling apart in his arms again and again, for as long as she would let him, he wanted to hear her call his name in the peak of her passion.

And not before long, he realized that no one was stopping him from getting her to come again.

Slowly he started kissing down from her breasts to her stomach, passed her navel and coming to a stop at the place her pants started, them being his only obstacle. As he slowly started unbuttoning them she squirmed under him in what he guessed was anticipation.

The pants were halfway down her legs when there was a high pitched beeping sound coming from her bedroom.

It took her a moment to come out of her haze.

"Damn it!" she exclaimed in despair.

"What is that?"

"It's my last alarm clock. It means I have to get to the hospital." she said already bouncing off the couch to find clothes.

"I see." he said, disappointment evident in his visible eye. Had they lost track of time by that much?

"I am sorry Sasuke-kun, but I have to go. And before I forget, you have to come too."

"Why?" he asked, his voice muffled by the fact that he laid face down on the couch.

"It's the last day of your healing sessions, you have to be checked to see there is nothing wrong."

"Hn. Can't it be done here?"

"It's the protocol Sasuke-kun." Sakura said apologetically as she put on a white bra and a light emerald sundress that made her eyes stand out. She was just too beautiful.

And that dress was far too tempting for him due to the morning they had. All he could think of was of how easy it would be to trace her legs upwards with his hand until he found her center. Far too tempting indeed.

"Fine" he huffed."Can I meet you there in a little while?"

"I suppose so Sasuke-kun, but how come?"

Kami, she wasn't going to make him say it, was she? Couldn't she understand why he couldn't go out in public immediately? By the inquiring look on her face, he guessed she couldn't.

"I can't go out... like that" he gestured down.

Realization hit her like a brick. She flushed a bright shade of pink. If the situation wasn't so awkward, he would have laughed at her expression. Internally at least. What, did she think she didn't have any kind of effect on his body?

"Sorry, sorry Sasuke-kun... Uhh...I didn't think... " she squeaked.

Yeap, if he wasn't so damn uncomfortable he would have definitely laughed. But all he could do was avoid her gaze in embarrassment.

"I have to leave now so I won't be late. So goodbye Sasuke-kun. See you soon." she said and turned around to leave.

"Sakura." His voice stopped her in her tracks and she silently watched as he walked menacingly towards where she was standing, towering over her.

"S-Sasuke-kun?"

Without a hint giving away his thoughts, he pressed her against the wall behind her, lifting her off the ground and kissing her almost desperately. She moaned in his embrace and wrapped her hands and legs around him for support. Feeling him against her surely didn't help with her now almost permanent blush.

When he deemed she had melted enough in his arms, he released her and walked away. He felt a bit of satisfaction seeing her knees buckle a bit. Turning his head sideways to look at her standing there, shock evident in her features, he flashed her a smug grin.

"You'll be late for work if you keep standing there."

She didn't know what to say.

He had done that one purpose to see her lose her line of thought. That bastard. And he was being smug about it.

But he was right, if she kept standing there she would be late and the hospital was the place she needed to be right now. Maybe a colorless sanitary environment with sick and injured people would be enough to reduce her thinking of him to a minimum.  
_'This will be a difficult day.'_

Oooooooo

Curse his luck.

Things not going the way he wished them to go wasn't by any means new to him, but this time it was too cruel.

She was under him, moaning his name in pleasure and that's when whatever gods were out there decided to end his good fortune. He just hoped the water of a cold shower would extinguish his need.

It was just too great a loss. He wanted her. It was the first time he had come to want someone like that. Giving in to his impulses wasn't hard, just the opposite. It had been too damn easy. All it took for his restrain to crumble to pieces was her, stretching.

Sure, she did it a bit provocatively to tease him, but still. He should be able to control himself better than that. Kami knows, when he lost control in the past, things didn't turn out so well. Not just for him but for a substantial amount of people.

He couldn't do that again. He couldn't lose control like that. Then again, that situation was very different from this one.

Giving in to temptation and hormone induced desires was nothing compared to wanting to destroy an entire village, the same one his brother died to protect. But he had been in the darkness then, he couldn't control his actions.

But what happened if he lost total control here? The world wouldn't be in danger, but what about Sakura? What if she didn't want him to do something like what happened earlier and was afraid to say so? What if he had led her to paths she didn't want to follow? What if he couldn't stop when she wanted him to? What if he lost control and didn't want to stop? What would happen to Sakura if the flame inside him got out of control?

No, that couldn't be. He didn't force her in an way. He didn't hurt her. He was sure she was the one who initiated that…morning…whatever it was… and he was fairly certain she had enjoyed it, judging by her reactions. But he was the one who climbed on her in the first place. He was the one who kissed her so forcefully. He didn't force her, did he?

He couldn't stand the thought of him possibly hurting her... forcing her... He knew it those doubts were most likely a manifestation of his guilt, but he couldn't help but wonder, _what if_? The image of wild, possessed Sharigan eyes in a ruthless face scared him.

No.

He wasn't that man anymore. He wouldn't hurt her. He couldn't hurt her.

Guilt and fear of his past self returning quickly took place in his head, clouding his mind. How could he act so vile, like a horny teenager trying to take advantage of her? The thought of him jumping on her the first chance he got made him full of guilt.

What would she think of him? That he only wanted her for her body? Her hot, smooth trembling body... No. No, he wouldn't let his mind wonder down that path again. How could he, the avenger, the... the enemy, defile Konoha's prized flower? He couldn't. He wouldn't.

But she wanted him too. She teased him, she had started what happened between them as well. But did she wanted _all_ that happened? Was she comfortable? Or had she just followed his lead? Could he have influenced her towards something she wasn't ready for?

She didn't deserve this. She deserved more than a rushed moment on a couch. She deserved someone to tenderly kiss her and love her, not something hurried, motivated mostly by impurity. She deserved better than…him. Kami, he wanted her, but he didn't deserve her.

The cold water was now painfully hitting his skin, making him shiver. Looking at his hand he saw pruned fingers. How long had he been under the cold water? How long had he been lost in his guilt?

Was it regret? No. He didn't regret a single thing. He loved every moment, but if he had a chance to do it again, he would go at it differently. More…softly. Slowly. He would cherish every moment, especially now that he knew they didn't have many.

This couldn't happen again. He wouldn't be able to live with himself if things moved forward between them and he abandoned her yet again. He had to travel, he had to atone before he could return to take her proudly by his side and replace the sigil on her back with his own. For he knew there was no one else for him.

Taking her with him seemed like a good option now, but he didn't want to be selfish. She had a life in the village. She was light…how could he snatch her away?

Quickly drying himself off, getting some of his body heat back, he got dressed and headed for the hospital. _'This is going to be a hard day'_

ooooooooooo

Sakura couldn't understand all the whispers and giggles at the hospital. It wasn't just a general good mood, were they laughing at her?

Fine, she had been a little late, but 10 minutes weren't something to whisper and giggle about. Maybe her hair was messy, she had ran there after all. In any case she couldn't pay attention to something as trivial as that. She went to her office to put on her doctor's coat and see what her duties were today.

"Whoo hoo Sakura, I wouldn't have expected something like that from you?" Ino giggled as she got in her office a second after she did. How had she not sensed her was beyond her.

"What do you mean Ino? "

"I mean, how is our favorite avenger doing? Got hot and heavy this morning, did ya?" Ino giggled as Sakura blushed furiously.

"H-How? How could you know?"

"Well, my clan does specialize in reading minds you know…" Ino said nonchalantly.

"YOU READ MY MIND?"

"Of course not Forehead! Check your mirror dummy."

Sakura was puzzled. Why would she check her mirror?

Oh.

Well that explained all the whispering that received her this morning.

Her normally pink lips were now a bruised dark pink/red, but the evidence of her morning were not her lips. There were three dark marks on the side of her neck.

"Who knew our avenger would leave hickeys, huh?" Ino teased. Sakura's face now matched her lips. "Though I suppose he never was 'our' avenger, was he? Congrats Forehead, he has claimed you. That must mean he is serious."

Sakura was stunned into silence.

"He is…serious about me?"

"Well duh…Take it from me, they never leave marks if they are not serious. Besides, when was he ever not serious? He has always been too serious if you ask me…"

"Said the girl dating Sai."

"HEY! Don't talk about Sai-kun! Besides…ever since that whole Land of Silence ordeal, he has been more than expressive…" Ino shot back.

"Shut it Ino-pig. I am kidding. I am happy for you two… Anyway, excuse me, I need to contact someone." Sakura said and rushed out the door not giving Ino a chance to question her, her doctor's coat held steady against her neck somewhat hiding the three vivid marks.

Going to the hospital's back yard, Sakura bit her thumb and pressed that drop of blood coming out of her finger to the earth. With a sudden pop, a small white and blue slug appeared on her shoulder.

"Lady Katsuyu."

"Oh hello Sakura, how are you dear?"

"I am fine Lady Katsuyu. Could you please connect me with Tsunade- shishou?"

"Of course dear. "

"Arigato! There is something I need to ask her."

Ooooooooooo

When Sasuke finally got to the hospital, he was told that Sakura had left for a little while, something of an emergency. He hoped it wasn't something bad. He was led to her office to wait for her by a flock of giggly nurses, way too loud and smiling for his taste.

He could hear them giggling even after shutting Sakura's office door closed, maybe a bit too fast, not letting any of them inside.

He huffed in annoyance. Weren't they too old for fangirling? What was next, slipping notes under the door? If turning rogue and threatening to kill the village didn't deter them, he couldn't possibly imagine what would. That was one of the things he enjoyed in his solitude, the quiet. No one to bother him.

Yet, these last few days, he couldn't argue with the fact that having someone around you wasn't all bad. Depending on the _someone,_ he guessed.

It wasn't like he hated everyone, he had a few people he would call friends, or at least respected companions, and wouldn't totally despise their company. Even fewer that he could tolerate –even like- on a daily basis, Sakura being at the top of that short but existent none the less list.

It had been a few minutes short of an hour when she walked in her office, hair messy and cheeks flushed red, evidence that she must have been running back from wherever she was.

He wasn't curious. He wasn't curious in the least. Or at least that's what he told himself. Whether it was for respect of her personal space or stubbornness to deny his own curiosity of what had her flushed, he didn't ask.

She walked in and, after clumsily taking of her coat and letting it drop to the floor, she leaned over her desk, looking for some file he deduced. Hearing her mumble something incomprehensible, he guessed that in her hurry she hadn't noticed him sitting on the couch on her office. He wasn't in her line of vision and she must have been quite distracted not to notice his chakra. He wasn't concealing it in any way, not more than what he normally did.

He fought the urge to chuckle when, as he sent off a beat of chakra, something like a pulse of his energy, she jumped from the shock. '_Yeap, definitely distracted.'_

"S-Sasuke- kun?! I-I didn't notice you there."

"Ah. I know." he replied with a small smirk. She was just too easy to tease.

"Sorry, I was lost in thought for a bit." She let out a breath.

"Is…everything alright?"

She beamed. "Yes, Sasuke-kun, everything is better than alright actually."

He didn't question her.

"How long have you been waiting?"

"Not long."

"Ah, so that explains the giggling interns." she said, mostly to herself.

He said nothing. Noticing the now visible small red marks on the side of her neck made his smirk return.

"Anyway, sorry making you wait, follow me." Sakura seemed to be back in her medic mode, aside from a small blush. She must have noticed him checking out her neck. She quickly picked up her doctor's coat and securing it high on her neck, efficiently covering the reddish little marks, and opened her office door, motioning for him to follow her.

Hoping for a quiet, simple examination, he got disappointed as soon as he stepped out the door and into the hallway. The ogling flock of young nurses was apparently relentless. He could hear the gasps and fawning of high pitched voices, they were nothing new to him, but annoyed him none the less. And if he could hear them following the pair, Sakura could hear them too.

She giggled nervously as if apologizing for the hospital stuff.

Faster than he expected, she led him to a standard hospital room with a single bed and some weird machinery over it. She gestured he lied down.

Sasuke laid down as Sakura guided that odd looking device over his body. A scanning device perhaps. At times like these he felt completely out of place, living on the road, mostly cut off from technology and its advances.

In a few moments time, an image of his internal organs appeared on a screen next to the bed. Sakura was carefully studying it for anything unusual as was standard procedure for ANBU Shinobi.

She noted something down on a sheet of paper and in a few minutes time she turned back to him, now sitting straight on the hospital bed.

"Sasuke-kun, please take of your shirt."

No words were needed as he removed his upper clothing.

She checked the place where his wound used to be with her eyes and with chakra. In seconds she was done, returning her attention to the paper, letting him put his shirt back on. He fumbled a bit but got it right before she got a chance to help him.

Setting the paper down to a small desk, she approached him, to check his head for any remnants of trauma. Sending her chakra inside him she found that everything was working properly.

"Ne Sasuke-kun, please activate your Sharingan."

Sasuke focused chakra on his right eye, closing it and reopening it to reveal a stunning red pupil with three tomoe marks.

"Does it hurt anywhere? Any unpleasant feelings?"

"Tch."

"Can you activate the Mangekyo Sharingan?"

Slowly she watched his right eye swirl and reveal a new pattern, his uniquely beautiful Mangekyo.

"Can you use it?"

Suddenly a pen on the desk was lost to the dark flames of the Amaterasu.

"Does it feel better than before?"

"Ah."  
"One last thing. Can you use the Rinnegan?"

Suddenly he disappeared from her line of vision, only for her to feel him against her back. She shuddered and got beet red, slightly jumping a bit. The small upturn on the corner of his lips told her he enjoyed her reaction.

She avoided his gaze at any cost, focusing once again on the sheet of paper. He stepped closer to where she was standing, just enough for her to feel his body heat.

"No disturbance whatsoever?"

He enjoyed watching her struggle to stay in medic mode. He could feel that his move made her shiver, yet she didn't falter.

"Tch."

"Well... everything seems to be in great shape. I bet you can feel the difference as well."

"Hn."

"Handy, having a medic close by, isn't it Sasuke-kun?" Sakura couldn't contain her smug expression.

"Hn. Too bad I won't have one with me."

Her face fell at his quick reply, all traces of humor absent from his voice. He was serious, but so was she.

The reply came so fast, it felt like he was expecting something like that. Could the Sharingan really read the future? Nah. It wasn't possible. Could he really know her that well, to know what to expect?

With a crestfallen look on her face, she handed him the sheet of paper she had been working on. His discharge note. Meaning he was free to go. Meaning he was free to leave her. Alone. Again.

"Here you go Sasuke-kun. All done. You are free to go."

"Ah. Arigato Sakura."

Sensing the tension, he said nothing as she backed out of the room in a fast pace, to go back to her office most likely. He gave her some time before he followed her, allowed her to recompose herself. Ninja didn't show weakness, and he wouldn't make her uncomfortable by seeing her in a vulnerable one.

Opening the door to her office, he found her sitting at her desk, looking over something, stubbornly avoiding his gaze.

"Sakura."

"Ne, Sasuke-kun?" She didn't even raise her head.

"I am not leaving now."

Her eyes sharply looked at him.

"You are leaving though. And you refuse to let me accompany you, even though you said you would." she shot back, fast enough to make him wonder how long had she been thinking about joining him.

And there they were again, at their seemingly endless battle of stubbornness. If it would ever end, he didn't know.

"You know why. It's dangerous."

"And oh, I know, a person who has earn the rank of Sannin is quite weak and vulnerable. Is that it? You think I am not strong enough?" she accused with sass clear in her tone.

He let out a breath and pinched the bridge of his nose. "It's not that. Don't twist my words." he snapped.

"THEN WHAT?" she took a breath to relax the tension seeping in her voice." Don't you want me to come?" He hated the small tremors in her tone, telling him he had hurt her. Again.

"What I said the last time is still true. My sins have nothing to do with you. So don't ask me to bring you with me, you shouldn't suffer for my sake. You-"

He silenced himself. She deserved better. That was the truth dragging him down. She deserved happiness. So, no matter how much he may want to, he couldn't allow her to come.

"You are right. The sins of your past have nothing to do with me. But what about your future? Am I in there in any way? Or have you regretted these last few days?"

He looked straight into her eyes. Did she doubt him that much? Did his words make her doubt him that much?

He walked around her desk, turned her chair to the side so she would face him and pulled her hand, making her stand up in front of him.

"I didn't. I never could." he whispered, his voice soft. There was no other way around it now. "Sakura, of course you are in my future. You are my future. It was always you, all along. Even when I was lost, you were always there, shining bright light in my darkness. Sakura, I-"

He closed his eyes, thinking his next words. But surprisingly, he didn't have to think long, they simply spilled out of him. The look she was giving him warned him not to dare stop halfway.

"Sakura, I care for you. So please, stay here. Stay safe. Stay happy. Don't burden yourself with the thoughts of me. But even if you choose me, stay, until I clear my conscience to be able to stand proud next to you."

There was nothing she could reply, she just stood there, shocked at the normally closed Uchiha opening up.

She couldn't believe he talked about any kind of emotion. And at the same time as confessing, he tried to get her to forget about him. It was funny, really. There was no one else for her, and the fact that he insinuated she moved on made her scoff. She would never be happy with anyone but him.

"It has always been you, Sasuke-kun. All along." she smiled and laid her face on his chest. He held her close. "I will wait for you. But please come back to me."

"Ah."

Oooooo

When Sasuke returned to her house late in the afternoon, she was sitting on the couch, studying what appeared to be medical book about human muscle and tissue, judging by the cover.

She was already in her Shinobi uniform, minus the gloves, and most likely waiting for him to return.

After leaving the hospital, he had gone to the town to resupply everything he might need for his journey, from bandages to food pills. He was ready to leave the next day.

"Tadaima." he said as he took off his sandals by the door.

"Okairi Sasuke-kun. Did you get everything you need?"

"Ah." He placed the bag at the coffee table and proceeded to store the various things in his travel backpack.

"When do you leave?" she couldn't keep the sadness completely out of her words.

"At dawn."

"I see."

She returned to her book, trying to focus on the words, but failing miserably. After realizing that avoiding her sadness wasn't working, she decided to change the subject.

"The sun will be setting soon. We should head out to the training fields or Naruto will come looking for us."

Maybe training would clear her mind. Or at least distract her for a little while.

He nodded and took off his cloak, leaving him in a simple black fighting attire. It was plain and simple, yet so...him. Black always looked good on him. Then again most things looked good on him, she mused.

Setting her book down, she stood up and put on her gloves. Moments after, they departed, setting out for their teammate.

Said teammate was late.

The sky was a light purple when he finally showed up, dragging their Sensei behind him. How had that Usuratonkachi managed to get the Hokage to stop working to join them was beyond Sasuke. Most likely, he had annoyed him until he finally gave in.

Sakura was thrilled. An completely Team 7 training session. It sure brought back memories, though she guessed they were too old to do the bell test now. Kakashi against all three of them... despite his power, he simply didn't stand a chance.

"Hey Sakura-chan, Sasuke. Look who I brought, ya know."

"Yo."

"It's gonna be great, ya know! All four of us training together! It's gonna be like the Team 7 Ultimum Re-Bonding Training Experience Extreme! Isn't that a great name Sakura-chan? "

Sakura slapped Naruto up the head, causing him to stumble. "Quit naming them you idiot!"

"Don't be so meaaan, Sakura-chan! I just want us to bond, ya know!" Naruto whined while rubbing the back of his head.

Sasuke and Kakashi exchanged silent greetings.

"When do you leave?" Kakashi's words got even Naruto to stop mumbling.

"At dawn."

"Awww. Come on Teme! You barely stayed, ya know." At Sasuke's glare, Naruto figured out there was no way to change his mind.

"Come on Naruto, at least we have tonight, before Sasuke-kun leaves. Let's have fun training as a group again." Sakura's words seemed to cheer him up slightly.

"How do we do this? Because I doubt I can take on all three of you in the bell exercise."

Everyone was silent for a bit.

"How about we divide in two teams, each guarding a bell and trying to get the other team's bell." Kakashi proposed.

"Ah."

"Sounds good, ya know!"

"Sure, but not anything too fancy. Sasuke-kun's eyes don't have to over exhaust so soon after his recovery."

Sasuke looked down, somewhat embarrassed he was the reason they were holding back.

"So, which are the teams?"

"I think you and I should go together Sakura-chan! Teach the teme who is best, ya know!"

"Shut up _Usuratonkachi_."

Watching his former students bicker and tease each other created a sense of longing deep inside the Copy Ninja. Had it been so long ago they were introducing each other on that roof? Yes. Yes, it had.

Such a long time with quite a few adventures. Yet, in the end his team was back, and he couldn't be prouder. They had grown up in more ways than one. That's why, rare moments like this one, so similar to an easier past brought comfort to his heart.

"Naruto, you are with me." he announced.

"Hai Sensei!"

Sasuke and Sakura quickly stood back to back, reading each other's moves and waiting for Naruto's most known technique. Kakashi tossed them a bell to guard.

Naruto went behind his Sensei, and as soon as Kakashi gave the signal, multiple Narutos flooded most of the training ground.

Oooooo

Returning home, beaten, bruised and sweaty, Sakura couldn't contain her happiness that they were holding both bells as tribute of the victors. She could tell Sasuke was pleased as well, but unlike her wide grin, he only showed a small upturn on the side of his lips.

Those bells were definitely a worthy prize, having trained quite a few great Shinobi. And who knew, maybe one of them would help train the next generation with that same pair of bells.

Sakura urged Sasuke to shower first as she made them dinner, getting into the shower right after he got out.

In about an hour they had already eaten the Tokoroten Sakura had bought on the way back from the hospital that afternoon. She had remembered him ordering it at some point in their Gennin days so she thought it would be a good idea.

As Sakura's exhaustion was starting to show in her eyes, she departed to her room.

Moments later she came back to the living room, wearing her night gown and looking where he was sitting on the couch.

Puzzled as to what she wanted he asked her with an inquiring gaze.

"Sasuke-kun?" she started, twiddling her thumbs as a sign of nervousness, "Since you'll be leaving tomorrow, could you... could we..."

"Sakura."

"Could we sleep together?"

He didn't know what his face showed, but how shocked his expression must have been, he figured it out by the way she instantly squeaked "Not like that." In a high pitched voice. His tense shoulders somewhat relaxed.

"I mean...like the other night...when we slept on the couch."

He was perplexed as to why she would want something like that. She must have been aching afterwards.

"Tch."

Her face fell. She was beginning to apologize for asking when he got up and walked towards her room.

"The couch is too narrow." he said as he opened the door and led her inside. A lamp lit up inside her head as she figured out what he meant. Following him as if in a daze, they lied down on the bed, facing each other.

"Sasuke-kun?"

"Hn?"

"I am really gonna miss you..." she mumbled sleepily. "Goodnight." she half said, half yawned, before sleep claimed her moments later.

Silently watching her breathing even out, he pulled her closer into his embrace, her head lying on his chest.

"I will miss you too Sakura." he whispered against her pink hair, knowing there was little to no chance she heard him.

Goodnight...

**Well? What did you think?**

**At first I know Sasuke might seem a bit too romantic but in an interview, Kishimoto claimed he was very different when they were alone, so that's what inspired me! (inner fangirl squealing!)**

**Please review and let me know if it turned out good…**

**Mata kondo da….**


	9. Chapter 9

**Helloo, everybody!**

**So happy to have found the time (and more importantly inspiration) to write during exams… the good thing was that I pretty much knew what I wanted to do, and that's what made this chapter come out quite sooner than I expected. **

**Unfortunately I can't promise the same thing for the next one, as I have 2 history classes and zero time…please be patient with me, I have no plans to give up on this story, so even if I am a bit late, I promise I will complete it! Those two deserve a happy ending that Kishimoto won't show us…(still hoping for a filler or something!)**

**In any case, no more delays. Here we go!**

Chapter 9

It was still dark outside when he woke up, he had some time before the sun rose. Yet he couldn't sleep any longer.

His senses we're tingling, the road calling him. It was high time he returned to his redemption journey.

But... there were strings now. Strings attached to him. Strings holding him back. Strings making him want to stay.

Her.

She had made him not want to leave her. She had crawled her way into his head, into his emotions.

Never had he imagined he would come to depend so much on someone to keep him together. To keep him balanced. Because that was what she offered him. Balance. She balanced his darkness with the bright light shining from within her.

And coming to know that light, he wanted to keep her close for as long as he could.

Sakura blinked as she felt the now familiar hand around her pull her in closer. The slow, steady rhythm of his breathing told her he was conscious.

She enjoyed the warm feeling of his chest against her cheek, even though his shirt separated them. She nuzzled her face at the crook of his neck.

"Is it time?" she asked, a hint of sorrow in her voice.

"Not yet."

Sakura tangled her hands around his torso and held on to him. His body tensed for just a moment before tightening his grip, pressing her closely against his chest.

She sighed. "How long?"

"Not long." he whispered against her hair.

"Then please hold me Sasuke-kun." she mumbled near his neck, right under his ear.

He said nothing, only held her.

No words were needed, the seemingly simple motion was more than enough to express the comfort between them.

He had no way of knowing how much time had passed. His only insight were the thin rays of purple light illuminating the sky as dawn was approaching.

Their time was running out. He knew it. So did she.

Yet, those moments when they were lost with each other were precious, so neither of them was willing to break away.

He had to leave. She knew it. It would be hard but it had to be done.

He had to leave.

But every moment in his arms made it harder to let him go.

He felt her try to move. He knew she was right. He had to go, and delaying it for mere moments was nowhere near enough to satiate his need for her presence.

He reluctantly released her from his grasp, watching her rise, pick up a few clothes and rush to the bathroom. Minutes later she returned, dressed in her standard Ninja attire.

He stood up.

Dawn was itching closer now. Clear bright rays were starting to appear in the still dark sky, giving it a light blue tinge, a clear sign that nature was waking.

Sakura gave him some space to refresh himself by going to the kitchen. She wanted to make him a bento box, to take care of him that way.

Solid food was the only option, so simple Onigiri rice balls would have to suffice.  
Packing some in a box folded in a blue piece of fabric, she went to the living room only to find him packed and ready to depart.

She opened the door to step out and he followed her, a deep silence accompanying their walk to the _Aun_ Gate in the front of the village.

As expected Naruto and Kakashi we're there waiting to bid him goodbye.

It wasn't forever, they knew that, but still...a part of their family was going away. They would regularly send letters to each other, but it was still a big loss.

Kakashi's farewell was silent, no words were needed. _Take care. _It was clear in his teacher's eyes. A silent nod yes was the sole reply.

Naruto's was totally different. From a loud "Be careful Teme! And write often, ya know!" to an extravagant hug that left the Uchiha slightly annoyed at the invasion of personal space.

Which left him to his hardest goodbye yet.

How could he greet her goodbye? The other two members of Team 7 that were closely watching him made him nervous. He wasn't a fan of public displays of affection, but a cold _Bye_ would most likely provoke her rage.

Or even worse, tears. He never wanted to make her cry out of sorrow ever again.

Sakura gave him the bento with a smile on her face. She seemed to be handling it pretty well, he noticed.

Maybe the words that had escaped him the previous day had appeased her. Apparently, showing emotions had paid off. He guessed that if going with what he felt worked last time, it could work now too.

His arm went around her small body to pull her in for a hug. It didn't last long, just a few moments, but it was enough to make Sakura blush. She beamed him a bright smile.

"Have a good journey Sasuke-kun!"

He nodded and turned around to leave. Moment after moment, step after step, he slowly was lost from their line of sight.

"Sakura-chan, are you ok?"Naruto asked, voice full of concern.

"I am fine Naruto."

The Jinchuriki tried to give her a big hug as a consolation, but the moment he touched her, her body disappeared in a puff of smoke with an audible _Pop, _leaving behind nothing but a folded piece of paper and a puzzled Naruto.

"Kage Bunshin?" Naruto wondered.

"It seems our little medic had her plan all along." Kakashi mused with a grin evident through his mask as he picked up the note and read it.

"You think she...?"

"Ah." the Hokage said, handing him Sakura's goodbye note, informing them about following him.

Naruto beamed. "Well, it's about time, ya know!"

After leaving their line of sight, Sasuke started running.

Traveling fast paced was what suited him the most, at a speed where one leap covered quite some distance. That was the way of the Shinobi. Long leisurely walks didn't fill him the way jumping from branch to branch did.

He simply didn't have the patience for something like that. Everything seemed to fade away as he ran and leapt through the lush forest surrounding the Village hidden in the Leaves.

Running on a path between the trees he came to an abrupt stop when he saw her leaned against a tree.

_Sakura._

She was fully dressed and packed with a backpack similar to his own. Her Shinobi attire had some slight changes, he noticed.

Instead of the pink skirt she now wore dark shorts and her red qipao was a tad longer. She was also wearing the standard tan Konoha traveling cloak with the two red stripes. Her outfit somehow seemed more mature than the one she had during her teenage years. It looked good on her.

When it came to the cloak however, dark thoughts crossed his mind. A Sakura armed with a poisoned kunai wanting to kill him, him almost attacking her with Chidori, the fear reflected in her eyes. With such a bad past between them, such terrifying memories scarring them, why had she come?

In any case, there was no chance she could have followed him without him noticing her, let alone passing in front of him. Cloaking her chakra and infusing it at the soles of her feet at the see time was an impossible task, even for someone as precise with chakra control as Sakura was. It simply couldn't be done.

And he doubted she was that much faster than him to have simply outran him. No, that wasn't it either. So the only explanation would be that she was waiting for him. But how could she...?

Oh.

Kage Bunshin. The dobe's Jutsu.

Damn the stubbornness that evenly matched his own. What did she keep insisting to come with him? He thought he had settled it the previous day but apparently he was mistaken.

When that woman decided something, she would turn the world upside down. He couldn't convince her, could he?

She was still at it.

And going as far as to produce a Shadow Clone and convince him all morning that it was the real Sakura... She must have changed when she went to the bathroom.

The focus she must have put on creating an equal amount of chakra to fool him...?

There was no doubt...she was determined.

_Heh_.

"Sakura go back."

"No." she replied quickly while placing her hands on her hips.

"I thought I had convinced you that it's dangerous, unpleasant."

"And yet, here I am."

He paused for a bit, processing his next words.  
"What about Kakashi?"

"He knows."

He huffed. So she had planned this, it wasn't just a decision of the last minute.  
"What about Tsunade?"

"Let's just say she is not happy that she has to stop her gambling trip to return to Konoha so she can run the hospital." Sakura said while twiddling her fingers.

So she had thought and planned for everything.

Heh.

Nothing he could say could deter her now. And she made damn sure he knew it.

"I can't change your mind, can I?"

Sakura crossed her hands over her chest, offering him a wide grin. "Nope."

_Heh_.

"Hn." He turned away not to reveal the small smirk threatening to spread across his face.

He started walking, knowing full well that she was following him.

He had lost.

_Heh_.

But maybe it wouldn't be so bad.

_Heh_.

The sun was high in the sky when they stopped to eat and rest. They had been running over the treetops for several hours and Sakura could feel the slight buzz of chakra on the soles of her feet.

She was really out of practice, not having been on a long term mission for quite some time. Most of the time he was gone, she had stayed in Konohagakure, running the hospital, and though it was tiring at times, it wasn't physically exhausting.

Her chakra control had always been impeccable so she guessed an average ninja would be much more out of breath than she was...but still...if he hadn't decided on a break she would have to ask for one.

Stubbornness was another factor for her to not express her slight discomfort.

She wouldn't give him any reason to send her back. Or even worse lead her back.

So if he could keep going, so could she. A slight buzz was not enough to deter her in any way. She was The Sakura Haruno, a Neo-Sannin, she had faced a lot worse than seven something hours of running.

This was practice to her...yes, practice. That's how she would deal with it, as practice to get back into shape.

During their run, they didn't exchange a single word.

He led, she followed.

To be easily passing through a part of the forest that didn't remind her of anything probably meant he had passed through it before and knew where he was heading. So she followed. Silently.

He didn't attempt starting any kind of conversation, as he was used to, she guessed, so she didn't want to pester him. The last thing she wanted was to become a bother to Sasuke.

"_Let's take a break to eat",_ he had said.

Sakura did all she could so her relief wouldn't show on her face. They had been running for half a day already and she assumed that there was more to go to get to where he was heading.

Opening her backpack, she brought forward a blanket where they could sit on.

Unfolding her bento, overstuffed on purpose, Sasuke handed her half its contents.

She smiled knowingly at him as she watched him figure out another part of her plan to follow him, food enough for two.

He sat down next to her, eating silently and watching her.

She knew that look. He was thinking about saying something, most likely over and over.

"How long? How long have you wanted to come with me?"

She was mildly shocked by his question, expecting nothing but another attempt to send her back.

"Remember the crisis with the exploding humans?"

He nodded, his mind remembering the peculiar situation from some time back.

"Yeah…since then."

"I see."

No wonder he couldn't stop her. She had wanted this for more than a year.

"You are more stubborn than the dobe." teasing evident in his tone, though his expression betrayed nothing.

"Don't be like that Sasuke-kun!" Sakura's face fell. "I just thought it was unfair for you to go through such trouble alone."

They returned to the familiar silence, not one of them speaking until he broke the silence again.

"Why?"

"Sasuke-kun?"

"Why…would you want to…throw your life away for someone like me?"

"Someone like you?"

"Cursed."

"You are not cursed Sasuke-kun, you broke it! And don't think for a moment that I am throwing my life away!" she said forcefully, before blushing. "I am here because I want to be here!" She looked down before whispering a small "With you."

He looked away, unable to think of another way to hide the feelings that were threatening to spill out. In his mindset, looking at the tree opposite of him was the safest bet to avoid more awkwardness.

_Arigato Sakura._

After eating and collecting their stuff they started traveling again. It was easier this time, Sakura noticed. She sure was tired but not on such big a level. Her muscle memory wasn't as bad as she had thought.

Their pace had remarkably slowed down, almost as if he had been running full speed all morning to show her how hard it could be. She knew that was most likely true, but she wanted to give him the benefit of a doubt. Still, his odd attempts to keep her safe made her chuckle inside.

He was still so bad at human interactions sometimes. Living in solitude for years would do that to a person, she guessed. And she doubted that neither Team Taka nor Orochimaru's hideout had been places for normal social interactions. Having met both those teams up close after the war…it was all kinds of weird.

That stuff didn't matter now. She was finally with him on his journey. And, on top of that, she was finally _with him_. At least that's what she assumed. They were together right? They hadn't talked about it and most likely, knowing him, they never would. Saying he cared the other day, a fact that was pretty much required by all the years they've known each other, was still a huge step for him.

He just didn't open up like other people, and no one could blame him because of his past. So words like _I love you _and stuff like that were the stuff of dreams. Or most likely hallucinations. He just wasn't like that, and she knew that, yet loved him none the less. Yes, she loved him. She had known for years, even though she had denied it for a long time. And here he was, running by her side. And here they were, together, even though no words were spoken. No words were needed.

Her mind kept wondering, remembering things of their past, habits mostly, that sort of thing.

He observed her silently. Catching glimpses of her face sideways, watching her smile and fail to contain her expressions. He almost chuckled. She had a funny look on her face that was probably her trying to bite down a giggle. She was so enthralling to watch. Not that he would ever get caught doing it. Or even worse, admitting it openly.

Time passed sooner than either expected, both lost in the comfortable silence. By the time they noticed the sun starting to set, only then they realized for how many hours they had been running.

"There is a town close by."

"Huh?"

"If you want to stay in an inn."

"Where do you usually sleep Sasuke-kun?"

"Out."

"Then out it is. Don't change your habits because of me."

"I just thought…" he silenced himself, averting his gaze.

She chuckled at his embarrassed expression. "It's ok."

"Hn." he replied, looking forward.

When he stopped suddenly at a clearing in the woods, she gave it all she had in her not to crash onto his back. She guessed he had picked that particular spot for them to sleep before resuming their journey.

After setting her bag against a tree, she turned around to see him observing her. A blush crept on her face.

Eyes meeting his, they fell into their Team 7 routine pattern. She would go collect wood for their fire and he would go collect something to eat, most likely fish since she could hear the running waters of a small river nearby. It was a silent communication, letting her know he would be back in a while. She replied in kind, before dashing into the woods.

Collecting branches was no hard task for her. Manipulating chakra into strength made it relatively easy. And if by chance there were none on the ground she could easily bring down a dead tree or something. But it wasn't necessary this time around. In fifteen minutes' time, she was back to their camping spot carrying, what was for normal people, several armfuls of wood.

He hadn't returned yet. She wasn't worried. There were a few people who could catch him of guard and even fewer that could actually hurt him. So she started setting their campfire. Getting the woods in a fire formation was easy, but she would have to wait for him to light it, not having a fire chakra nature herself. She possessed mostly Earth and Water release.

Being done with the fire she started setting up their sleeping mats. Now, there was a puzzle. Should she set them apart or next to each other? Close together seemed the natural choice, to preserve heat better she told herself, but it seemed too forced. He had a thing about boundaries and crossing them would bring them steps back instead of forward. She decided that a couple of meters away would be the best choice.

When he returned with some fish, she had already made preparations for them to cook them. She looked apologetically at the unlit fire.

"Um… Sasuke-kun, could you-"

"Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu." he cut her off, sending a small sized fire ball where the branches lay, immediately setting them ablaze.

"Arigato Sasuke-kun."

He nodded and knelt on the ground to her left, helping her prepare the fish and setting them by the fire.

Everything seemed very quiet between them, yet she was calm. She felt relaxed, sitting on the ground next to him, eating the now cooked fish.

At some point she leaned over to him, laying her head on his shoulder. It felt like a natural move to her…they had progressed more than a limited human contact like that. Yet it left him puzzled.

"Are you… ok?"

She looked up at him, mesmerized in his gaze. "Yes."

He didn't reply, only poked the fire with a stick to help its flames grow. It had been a relatively warm evening so far but he knew that the temperature would drop in the next few hours.

Without a warning she pulled her body away from his, laying back on the soft ground behind her. He wouldn't admit it but he missed the heat her body provided him.

She folded her arms under her head as a pillow to get more comfortable. He watched her carefully as she studied the different constellations that were visible from the clearing they were sleeping at. She was smiling slightly at the night sky so he guessed she was content.

He laid down next to her, mimicking her actions. It was truly a beautiful sight, the stars slowly appearing one by one on the dark blue sky.

He knew he had to say something to her, they had barely exchanged words all day, minus the arguing about taking her with him. He was used to the quiet but she was unusually quiet for her standards. She was usually full of life and laughter (or bickering when it came to the dobe) in the missions he remembered. Had she changed that much over the years from that loud self that annoyed him in the past? How come she wasn't speaking? Was she staying quiet because she thought that was what he would want or… or maybe because she had regretted it? Regretted joining him?

He was about to ask her when she beat him to it.

"Ne, Sasuke-kun?"

He turned his head to the side to look at her.

"Do you…" she paused, doubt evident in her previously calm features. "Do you regret taking me with you?"

Regret taking her with him? Not a chance. She soothed his presence in ways he didn't know he needed before returning injured to Konoha. So regret was far from his mind. However, the chuckle that escaped him at the silliness of her words sent her a wrong message.

She turned her head away, but not before he caught sight of a single tear gleaming in her right eye.

He laughed at her? Was he that displeased that she joined him that he was laughing at her? So far everything was perfect for her, and she had assumed it was at least ok for him too. Had she misread him that badly? Did he really want her to leave?

She turned away from him and leaned on her side, showing him her back. Chuckling was apparently the wrong move he scolded himself. And he made her well up. After telling himself that he didn't want to be the cause of her tears ever again, here he was, making her cry. Again. He wanted to facepalm himself.

How could he fix this? He opened his mouth to clarify what the chuckle meant but closed it again almost instantly. Words were clearly not his thing. He was positive that a few wrong words would definitely make the situation much worse than it already was. And he was certain that he especially was capable of messing it up even more.

She jumped a bit when she felt his hand pull her in against his chest, but followed his lead without protest none the less. He rarely made moves like that so deterring him might possibly make him stop altogether. She leaned her head on his torso, listening to his heartbeat.

He looked down at her, her tear leaving a thin line down her cheek that shined in the moonlight. It was just a single tear, but it was one tear too many. He pressed his lips at the top of her head, feeling her snuggle closer.

"I don't." he replied sternly, making her forget her inner doubts. "Do you regret coming?"

He saw the corner of her lips turn upward in a wide smile. "Never." Sakura replied cheerfully, all depressing thoughts vanishing at once.

They stayed like that for a while. She moved so she was laying on her back with her head on his arm, turning her gaze to the sky once again. When he noticed her eyes were starting to close, he nudged her awake and motioned for her to get inside her sleeping bag.

"I'll take first watch." He informed the barely awake Sakura that was refusing to let go of his arm.

After finally managing to release his limb, he took his position at a thick branch of a tree near their campfire, keeping watch for possible dangers. He knew that what he did was pretty pointless, thanks to the fact that both of them, Sakura even more than him, could pick up any trace of chakra, no matter how small or how well hidden.

He did it anyway.

He wouldn't forgive himself if something happened to her under his protection. And a few hours of being awake weren't a problem for him, nor for her for that matter. Better being safe in any case.

Besides, according to fact, it was almost impossible for anyone to be dangerous to them. Two of the Neo-Sannin had pretty good chances against most groups of people. The five Kage council might have posed a threat but he sincerely doubted Kakashi would let anyone from the Shinobi Alliance go after them. And most rogue nin were child's play for the separately, let alone together.

Yet he didn't abandon his post on the tree branch until an hour before dawn. He landed gracefully without a sound and went to wake her up.

A few gentle strokes up and down her arm and she was awake and ready to replace him. He laid down and not before long he was sound asleep.

Sakura stretched, still groggy from sleep, and missing the heat of her covers, she relit the fire from the few flaming embers that were left. Didn't he notice the lack of the flame? Hadn't he been cold all night? It must have been an Uchiha thing, she guessed. She didn't remember him being cold, ever. Even when they had travelled in the Land of Snow, his attire had been much lighter than hers or Naruto's.

After a little while the sky was getting a bit brighter, giving her some clue about the hour. It seemed like five in the morning. Which meant he woke her up around four. Which meant he had overpassed the standard watch hours, giving her an extra hour of sleep, and thus losing one himself. She decided that she would let him sleep in for a while, giving him back that hour at least.

Keeping watch was boring. Nothing happened. Not that she wanted to get attacked or anything, but after a while she doubted the need for it. Sure, it was better to be cautious than to pay the price but she doubted anyone would attack them. These were times of peace. And even though, some rogue nin still run wild at some places, she doubted anyone would be stupid enough to attack them.

In any case she would follow his lead. He was the one that travelled so she guessed he knew better. But what did he do when he was alone? He couldn't stay awake all night. Maybe he travelled during the night and slept during the day, but it seemed unlikely. Could he be doing it for her? To protect her? She quickly banished the thought. He wouldn't do that, would he?

A couple of hours later, when all possibilities of enemy attacks were reduced to a minimum, she decided to go to the river he fished from last night to wash herself in the peace and quiet. No one would disturb her at that hour and no one would see her by accident.

Following the path he traced, she found said river. Placing her clothes on a nearby rock, she dove in to clean her body. The water was cold but it felt refreshing against her skin.

On her way back, she had come across an apple tree and decided to collect some apples for breakfast. In less than an hour, she was back and warming herself by the now dim fire.

Some time later, he began to stir, his face frowning because of some sunrays falling right where his eyes were. He groaned annoyed at the bright light. He tried to avoid them by facing the opposite way but he had little luck. He let out an angry grunt that made her giggle.

He turned to face to foreign noise. "What?" he snapped, his voice harsh but with no real malice.

She smiled. "Oh, it's nothing Sasuke-kun. I had just forgotten how cranky you get when you wake up."

His frown got bigger. _Cranky? What am I, a baby? I do not get cranky! _he thought defensively, shooting her a glare.

He joined her by the slowly dying fire. After a while, when he could actually comprehend what was happening around him, he started noticing some details. Her wet hair, the slightly damp clothes, the apples she was pealing and passing on to him…

He picked up a strand of her hair, as if asking her about it.

"I went to the river to wash."

A couple of thoughts that could easily be the content of their sensei's novels passed quickly though his mind so he quickly changed the subject.

"Where did you get the apples?"

"I picked them from a tree in the woods."

He snorted. "Some watch you've been keeping."

"I think we both know there is no real need for a watchman."

He looked down. No doubt she had figured it out. Not many opposed her when it came to brain power, himself included. Not desiring to openly admit anything, he got up and headed towards the river to wash up.

By the time he returned, Sakura was still sitting where the fire had been, the only difference being that their little camp place was packed and in their backpacks.

He offered her his hand to help her up. Looking up at him puzzled at the gesture, she took it.

They started walking again, ahead of them, a long journey…

**Soooo? Please tell me what you thought… Writing about them travelling was quite hard, so I would appreciate any and all reviews letting me know whether you liked it or not! (Sure hope you did!)**

**Thank you so much for all your reviews for the last chapter, please keep it up. It's really a huge boost of confidence hearing your (thankfully positive) comments! **

**Until next time! See ya!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hellooo dear readers! (If any of you is left after that long wait). **

**So, so sorry for taking me so long to upload, it's just that I was working at a summer camp and it's pretty hard finding time to write, let alone any kind of inspiration, when you have eleven 14 year-olds annoying you endlessly… what's a girl to do…**

**Anyway, here it is at last. Chapter ten. Hope you like it…**

**A great big thanks to my friend Juujuuu for a) giving me ideas and b) making me write a lemon… thanks hon!**

**Yeap, it's a steamy one folks… and I think/ hope it turned out pretty good…**

**Hope you like it!**

Chapter 10

Sakura found herself taking in the different landscape while she was running along with Sasuke. The terrain around them had drastically changed from lush forests to valleys and hills to barren mountain sides in the past two weeks they had been travelling.

The surroundings were so much different than what she was used to in the Land of Fire, with seeing nothing but cliffs and mountain sides for the last few days, but by no means she was complaining.

She enjoyed feeling the clear mountain air hitting her face softly and the view took her breath away. She couldn't fathom how a mere two weeks ago there wasn't so much as a crack on the earth and now they were pacing right next to the edge of the mountains, in a seemingly endless path of dry earth filled with nothing but rocks and cliffs.

Two weeks.

They had been travelling together for two weeks. She still couldn't believe it.

And, despite her worries, it was smoother than what she imagined.

She was afraid he would tire of her after a day or two and send her back. However no such intention had surfaced yet in the mind of her avenger.

It didn't take them long to fall completely into a familiar pattern they were both comfortable with. A routine of a sort.

Everyplace they camped for the night, he would depart for a while to hunt for them, fish, birds or rabbits mostly, there was no need for anything bigger since it was just the two of them, while she stayed behind at their camp place to build a fire and basically set the whole camp up.

It was calmer than what she had imagined. She wouldn't know what to expect at an atonement journey, but still, all they seemed to be doing was travel from place to place without any purpose.

Then again, it was a time of peace, the dangers we're almost nonexistent compared to their childhood era. Maybe they hadn't found any kind of problem yet, in the few villages that they passed on their way.

It took her about 8 days but she managed to finally convince him that taking shifts to watch each other at night was indeed pretty pointless. Being as stubbornly protective as he was, she was surprised she had managed it in such a short amount of time.

And still, every night they would set traps around them just in case, on that he was adamant. She wasn't complaining though, she kind of liked his attempts to protect her, even though the most she had gotten hurt so far on their 'dangerous' journey was getting a splinter the other day from collecting wood.

The slow flowing of time seemed to make the flow between them easier as well.

They could tell what the other was planning to do by a mere look, even more fluidly than before when they were mostly counting on their memories of one another.

The past wasn't such a huge thing in her mind anymore, their present seemed more important.

She loved the time she spent with him...it was the most she had seen him for a while, while not being in the middle of a war.

He wasn't a man of many words but even in the silence she felt like they were bonding more and more.

It wasn't hard to notice some things about the Uchiha when living with him in such close distance. It was easy for Sakura to tell what he was thinking, what he was feeling, when he was annoyed or when he was feeling talkative, stuff like that.

A thing she wasn't expecting was how unsure he was of his moves around her. Being without any kind of social interaction for quite some time had left him, she dare say, insecure, even shy.

It was hilarious at first, watching him trying to approach her and backing away before even opening his mouth. She could never point anything out though, he would most likely deny it.

Still, it was endearing watching him try.

However, what bothered her was how gentle he was about it. He would hardly touch her, let alone kiss her these last two weeks. It baffled Sakura. They had made quite a bit of progress in her home, progress that sent thrills down her spine, and yet here he never approached her, not even for a kiss, and for her life, she couldn't figure out why.

It wasn't like she could tackle him to the ground and have her way with him, any sort of pressure would bring the opposite result. And bluntly asking him about it was out of the question. So she remained patient, following him with nothing but a smile on her face.

The pace he had set was a relatively easy one, for Shinobi of their caliber. They didn't have a lot of time before the sun set, but they didn't have a lot of ground to cover either before reaching a particular cave in the mountains where he had camped before, at a previous trail he had followed.

They had about two days before reaching a small village he had come across some time ago. It was being pillaged by a group of bandits when Sasuke first arrived, finding everyone locked in their homes and every public place in complete disarray. It hadn't taken him long to find the culprits and lead them to justice, letting the village flourish once again.

He made a point of always returning to places he had once helped, to make sure no more trouble had arisen, just as he had done on the past two weeks of their journey. After checking again on the villages they had passed, he was pleased that their lives were now peaceful.

Everything so far had gone without a hitch, which, he could tell, was evident in his partner's mind. She was naturally curious, so he had no doubt she was wondering how things managed to run so smoothly for them.

Their journey so far had been indeed pretty smooth. Even the two of them, two seemingly opposite characters, managed to get in complete sync with the other.

He expected no less.

The bond between them was strong. What he hadn't been able to predict however, was the pull her body appeared to have on his own.

Her face, with those gleaming eyes, her slender body, hell, even her natural scent pulled him in. He would never have imagined that that faint aroma of vanilla that she emitted would have such an effect on him. The scent suited her though.

He hadn't been able to get close to her without his body fighting for control over his actions for their entire journey. Every time he got closer he could feel his body twitch.

And it was completely different than from her home, now there was nothing holding him back but his sheer willpower to not do anything she might regret.

He managed to keep physical distance for a while, but she seemed to be everywhere around him. From her soft face being the first thing he saw as he woke up every day, to having her next to him all day long, to finally falling asleep with her being the last thing he saw before closing his eyes.

She was constantly on his mind, with a simple thought being enough to set his senses on fire.

Just as he was finally managing to control the desire to pounce on her and cover her with kisses and...more, fate decided to torture him a little more, plaguing him with dreams mixed with memories that were, in a word, inappropriate.

There was no other way for him to deal with it other than avoiding his 'problem' altogether. Still, his body ached to feel her lips on him again, but, unfortunately for him, such a thing was bound to send him spiraling out of control.

The slightly cloudy sky was a light purple as they arrived at the cave where they would camp. As usual they went about their normal steps, him to get food, her to get wood for the fire.

As she was heading back to the cave she felt a few drops of water land on her face and head. In the short time it took her to collect a few branches, the sky had considerably darkened with gray clouds drizzling softly. She knew what clouds like those meant. A storm was coming. And by the breeze she could feel against her bare arms, it would most likely be a big one.

Worst case scenario, they would delay their journey by a day or two, if they decided it was too hard to travel. Thinking back on it, she decided to pick up more wood, in case they had to spend more than a single night in that cave. Knowing him, he would most likely come to the same conclusion.

By the time she returned to the cave they had decided to use as a shelter, the drizzle had turned to a downpour. She was slightly soaked as she went back inside and started setting the wood in a pile for him to light it.

He returned moments after she was done setting their little camp, damp from the rain and carrying some skinned rabbits. She had been right, he had hunted more as a precaution, just as she had.

He was soaking wet, little drops of water slowly dripping from his ebony locks falling over his feet.

She rushed to him to ready the meat for cooking while he would light the fire. In mere seconds the blaze from the fire had illuminated the whole cave. It didn't take her long to put the rabbits by the fire to get cooked.

In the meantime he had taken off his cloak, who had taken most of the rain, and sat by the fire to get his hair dry faster. She followed his lead, sitting next to him, though she hadn't gotten all that wet. The wait for the food wasn't long and they ate in a comfortable silence accompanied by the sound of the pounding rain.

She could tell by the small frown that was forming on his face that he was dissatisfied with the change in their traveling plans. She gently placed her hand on his shoulder to get his attention.

"It's alright, Sasuke-kun. We'll just take a small break."

He nodded in response.

Kami, your shirt is wet. You'd better take it off so you won't get a cold."

"It's fine."

"For Kami's sake, Sasuke-kun, you are staying in a soaking wet shirt for so long. You must be freezing."

"I'm fine."

"Sasuke-kun, please, you have to get warm or you'll catch a cold. And if you get sick out of stubbornness I am not healing you." Sakura warned, the firmness of Konoha's top doctor evident in her voice.

He grumbled his reply, which must have been something among the lines of _Fine, whatever, _or something like that. She couldn't say for sure, but it must have been positive because he started unbuttoning his shirt.

Sakura was hoping that the orange glow of the fire was hiding the blush on her face, or at least make him believe it was the heat of the flame causing it.

Damn her and her medic brain, always following the rules. She should have thought better. Of course taking off his shirt would mean he would have to stay half naked. By her side.

_Great thinking Sakura. Now you just have to keep yourself away from him. _

_Brilliant plan._

He was simply sitting there, right where he was before, in the exact same spot he was a minute ago, only topless.

It wasn't in any way a new sight, but it reminded her vividly of a morning many days ago. A morning she had never expected. A morning she missed. A morning she wouldn't most likely get to re-experience for a long time.

And yet, she enjoyed the rare sight of his naked torso, lean and toned like a marble statue. She scooted closer to him, to lay her head on his shoulder, a habit they had adopted before retiring for the night. He would even slide his hand around her waist sometimes, but he had done that only a few times, times she dearly cherished.

And yet, when her head leaned on his bare shoulder, she felt a pulse in his chakra, much like a flinch, only she didn't feel it on his body but on his spiritual energy. He abruptly stood up, Sakura barely managing to keep her balance as her support beam decided to flee.

"I'll set the traps." he explained himself as he was walking away, not facing her directly.

She internally laughed at the newly found shyness she was gradually exploring.

Sasuke Uchiha shy, who would have thought that the village heart throb was shying away from human contact.

It was heartwarming, watching him slowly get used to, even attached to her. She distinctly noticed his subtle approaches with the time slowly passing, him accepting her getting closer to him, even beginning a conversation all on his own.

Sakura was proud.

The teenage Sasuke would never be this communicative, even if for a regular human it was the bare minimum.

She was waiting for him patiently while he was talking his time setting the traps. There wasn't any need for more than two, since the cave entrance was too narrow for more, but he set four despite that fact.

To be more protected, he told himself, he wasn't stalling at all. Yet he knew he was delaying the feel of her against his body, close enough to keep him on edge, yet too far to satisfy his thirst.

When he could delay no more without being too obvious, though he knew she had most likely figured out his intention, he returned by her side.

He let his hand open so she could scoot closer and lie on his shoulder like they used to. She followed his silent invitation. Sakura laid her head gently on the crook of his neck, nuzzling closer.

She usually never got too close, afraid she was overstepping over boundaries, but now she wanted to get closer, she wanted to make him stop avoiding her touch.

His torment seemed like it would never end. From the moment he got up to set the traps, the place where she had previously laid her head burned with longing to feel her again, so staying away was not an option.

And yet, now that she was so close her breath was fanning his neck and her hair was tickling his skin, he was flexing and unflexing his muscles to stay in control.

It was torment. And yet he couldn't get enough.

What caught his attention however was a small, almost not existent trembling coming from the girl next to him.

He moved his hand to the back of her shirt, feeling it. It was slightly damp right behind where her hair touched her back.

He turned his gaze to her body, instead of looking at the fire, searching her all over. But since there was no difference in color, he moved his hand to the front of her shirt, checking to see if her stomach was wet.

Sakura's face was burning. _Just what is he doing?_ He was touching her body, an unusual behavior for the Uchiha. His hand was roaming freely around her back, her sides and then her stomach. Sakura shivered.

"S-Sasuke-kun?"

"You are wet." he said bluntly.

Sakura's eyes widened. "What?"

He pointed at her shirt.

"Oh." she said, looking down at her shirt. "I didn't notice."

"You should change." he said. "You'll get sick." he added in a matter of fact tone.

She took a deep breath.

Was he implying what she thought he was implying? He surely couldn't be. He was just being practical. She had demanded that he took off his shirt so he wouldn't get sick, so it was merely natural he did the same to her. But how could she do it?

She couldn't just take off her shirt while he was watching her, it didn't matter that he had already seen her half naked, she just couldn't be that bold. She just stood there, staring at the flames, gathering her courage.

As if on cue, he sent some chakra infused flames to the fire, making it burn hotter than before. That was the opening she needed. His momentary lack of attention to anything but the flame was enough for her to turn away and take off her shirt. She stayed in the same place as if nothing had changed.

Sasuke gave no hint of what he was thinking.

His expression didn't falter one bit as he stole sideway glances at Sakura. Just as he focused back on her after maximizing the flames, he caught sight of a bare midriff and a dark red bra that made her look ethereal.

He seemed in no way different in his approach, it would be the same as any other night.

Only it wasn't the same.

They were topless, and even though they weren't doing anything, it was the closest they'd been in the last two weeks.

He tried his best to focus on the flames.

He failed.

If someone was testing him, he had failed. He could feel chakra pouring into his eyes as his Sharingan activated.

However the real test was when she got closer to assume their previous position.  
It was true that he had kept his hand extended so she could join him like earlier, but feeling her on his body was a whole other matter.

Her skin was cold and wet from her damp qipao shirt while his was hot from the fire. Sakura had noticed that before. His body never seemed to get cold. Ever. It was a welcome relief from the cold she was now feeling.

He stiffened up at the contract. Yet when she shivered from the cold he felt the need to envelop her and keep her warm. Keep her protected. Even if it was just from the cold.

He looked for signs to figure out where her mind travelled as she paid attention solely to the flames. She wasn't trembling, minus a shiver here and there, but she had a look on her face that was a telltale sign something was troubling her. She suddenly let out a single giggle. He turned to face her, curious as to what she was thinking. His move caught her eye.

"Sakura." he said in his monotone voice, but there was a hint of a doubt hidden in his eyes. She could see the clear question forming there.

"It's nothing Sasuke-kun." Sakura quickly said, moving her hands defensively in front of her face. That only spiked his internal curiosity more. He raised his eyebrow and kept staring at her, awaiting a response.

Sakura exhaled, defeated. Looking down at her feet, she tried to put the words forming in her head in order. His miss-matched eyes never left her, Sharingan storing every moment carefully in his memories.

"It's just that... I just noticed this is... That this is the first time we've touched since... Since that day back home"

He exhaled. "I see."

Was that what was running through her mind? Was that what was making her shy her gaze away from him?

He was physically aching to stay away so she wouldn't get uncomfortable in any way, and she was for two weeks wondering why he wasn't touching her? No, that couldn't be it. There was no chance that could be it, could there? Her gaze wouldn't leave the floor of the cave so he couldn't decipher her feelings in any way.

"Do you want me to touch you?" Sasuke asked bluntly after a moment or two passed. Not knowing for sure was not something he enjoyed.

Sakura got reduced to a stuttering mess, not expecting a question like that and definitely not knowing how to answer.

"I-I... Only if you want to."

That was an odd answer to the last Uchiha. Of course he wanted her. But she didn't make clear what she wanted. Damn that woman, always leaving him wondering what she was thinking. He wanted to touch her, but could he?

"I see."

"I... Is something wrong?"

"_Tch_."

"Then how come you... Why won't you..."she started, looking up at him

"Why won't I what?"

"Why won't you get close to me? Like... Like back in the village?"

Once Sakura began, everything simply poured out of her. All those thoughts of avoidance these past few days that were haunting her, simply spilled out.  
He hugged her body more firmly, as if stating his hand's presence.

"We are close." he stated, running her hand up and down her side.

Maybe it was the sort of romantic scene, with the fire in the dark cave and them in each other's arms, that was pushing her, or maybe the fact that she was tired of ignoring a problem that apparently wouldn't solve itself, but she felt like it was the time to speak her mind.

"You know what I mean Sasuke-kun. Why are you avoiding me?"

And he had been right, she had picked up on his behavior.

He turned his head away, refusing to answer. What could he say anyway? That he was staying as far as he could to avoid losing his sanity out of desire? That he did it as a way not to pressure her in any way? That he was scared of losing control?

He said nothing. He simply avoided her gaze.

She got out of his hold and walked a few feet away from where he was sitting, her gaze not once meeting his.

This was wrong.

This wasn't what he wanted.

He wanted to get closer, but didn't know how to express it. Instead he had pushed her away. And even worse, he didn't know how to fix it. She started putting on her shirt but before she got midway he stood up and grabbed her hand.

"It's wet." he said taking the shirt from her hands.

"I'll be fine." Sakura murmured.

He tossed her shirt behind him and it landed with surgical precision right by the fire, a few feet away from where their sleeping mats were set. He took her hand and stared at her with a quiet intensity.

"I want you to stay safe."

Sakura merely looked back at him, not daring to leave his burning gaze. He had a small downturn on the right side of his mouth, a sign that he was planning something, clear to those around him, ever since childhood. The only problem was that she couldn't figure out what he was thinking of doing.

Sakura didn't exactly have time to process it much because she suddenly crashed onto his chest.

He held her tightly against his body, her head tucked right under his. She felt him exhale as he ran his fingers through her hair.

He didn't want to leave her wondering. He didn't want her to think he didn't care. And yet he had managed just that. That was his old self, the one that cared about nothing but revenge. Nothing but power. He wasn't that man anymore.

"I told you before I... I care about you. I just don't want to worry you."

Sakura trembled a bit. It took Sasuke a moment to figure out she had chuckled.

"What do you mean worry me?"

Sasuke Uchiha exhaled again. This was getting harder and harder.

"I don't want you to feel any pressure."

It wasn't a single chuckle anymore but an ongoing giggle that escaped Sakura's mouth as she circled his neck with her hands and nuzzled her head closer. Sakura reveled in their current situation. It was almost funny how often this happened, them hiding their thoughts and feelings until the last possible moment.

She knew exactly what he was trying to say, but hearing him saying it would make up for the two weeks that she was second guessing herself. She lifted her head so her mouth was right next to his ear, knowing the effect it had on him.

"Pressure? What kind of pressure?" she whispered with a soft voice. To his credit, he stood his ground, no matter the small tremor in his stomach.

"Don't do that." he warned.

"You didn't answer my question."

Why was she toying with him? He was certain she knew what he was trying -and failing - to say.

"Hn."

She released her hands and pulled away, just a few centimeters, so she could look into his eyes.

"What could possibly make you think it was pressure? You are pretty silly once in a while Sasuke-kun." Sakura said with a bright smile on her face.

Sasuke frowned upon that. Being called silly wasn't something he liked. Sure, he had made a wrong evaluation of the situation, but _silly_? Calling one of the world's greatest Shinobi silly was a bad thing. And yet, his frown completely disappeared when she brought her lips to his, joining them in a soft kiss.

Damn...she had missed this more than she thought she had.

A single kiss between them was enough to make her toes curl and her hands tingle. She just couldn't leave them hanging loosely at her sides, so she entangled them into his hair.

As they parted, she nudged his nose with her own. "Just don't jump in conclusions anymore, ok?" she joked.

He said nothing, he just kissed her again. And again. And again.

Again until he got his fill from those two weeks of seclusion from each other. He had missed the feel of her soft skin, the touch of her lips. And all of that longing just because he had made a wrong assumption. Never would he decide for her again.

The closer they got the harder it got for Sasuke.

The fact that her body touched the skin on his chest brought back some not so distant memories of what it was like the last time they got that close. Of how fast they progressed from innocent to not so innocent.

The impulse that drove them then was evident now in his mind. His hand pulled her as close as he could manage and still it wasn't enough.

Sasuke Uchiha never before had had these urges, not once. Only with her. He was at a loss of why he was doing what he was doing, gradually trapping Sakura against his body, not letting her escape.

It was odd, having feelings and urges like those Sakura was feeling at that moment. It might have not been wild or anything, but those soft kisses exchanged between the two companions were sending little sparks of lightning on every cell of her body.

It might have been the fact that some time had passed since their last interaction, or maybe that they were now alone and free of disturbances, or even more possibly that they had made a step forward in the right direction, but every kiss seemed more special than the one before.

Sakura arched her back to get closer to him, with Sasuke's hand tightening his grip fiercely. The pair, fused together, didn't part until the need for air became too great. And even when they parted, it wasn't for long because Sasuke's lips latched to her neck, kissing her softly.

Kiss after kiss, each one growing in heat, Sakura pulled his hair just enough so she could get his lips on hers again, making him groan a little in the process. If she remembered correctly he had enjoyed that back in the Hidden Leaf as well, so she decided to experiment.

Pulling on his long ebony locks, she pulled him away enough to look him in the eyes, giving him a seductive expression as she ran her fingers on his neck making him shiver a bit.

"See? Isn't it better this way?" she teased.

He rolled his eyes but gave a tiny nod anyway. However, as he approached her for another touch of their lips, she pulled away, staying just out of reach. She smirked as she nuzzled his nose with her own, avoiding his lips again as he retried. Instead her lips trailed a path down his neck.

The sound he tried to contain but failed, sounded awfully close to a growl.

Damn that woman. He was desperately and constantly fighting for control and she kept making it harder for him, a small move at a time. But this was too much for the great Uchiha to control. With some help from his Susano'o, he lifted her up, holding her hips against his. Sasuke pressed her to him as closely as he could as Sakura nipped and kissed his neck.

The sensation was incredible. And yet it was not enough.

Sakura didn't know when or how but she found herself on his sleeping mat, with her back on the ground and the last Uchiha on top of her. He was repeating her movements, teasing her neck just as she had teased his.

A moan escaped her at the first little bite. A moan he wanted to hear again. Supporting his body with the arm he created with his powers, Sasuke used his real hand to touch her stomach and then slide his arm slowly higher. His lips lowered until they reached to top of her bra, with his fingers slowly tracing patterns on the skin just under it.

Apparently the feel of it was too great for Sakura, as she almost instantly lifted her back to unclasp her bra. He beat her to it. The instant the unnecessary piece of clothing left her body, his mouth went to her breasts. Sasuke couldn't deny he liked the image of her in her underwear, but having her half naked beneath his body was way better.

The small moaning sounds she made from the stimulation his mouth, and now his hand, provided were enough to drive him insane. Simply holding her was intoxicating, let alone tasting her skin. He had missed the sight of her, trembling because of him, moaning because of him.

Suddenly a desire he didn't fulfill the last time they had entered a situation quite like this one popped up in his mind. As he traced her nipple with his tongue, his sole hand trailed lower and lower, traveling along the plains of her lean abdomen, until it got to the hem of her shorts.

Pausing for a moment, as if asking for permission, he took of her black shorts with her assistance. With a bit of fumbling and some squirming on her part, it didn't take them long to rid Sakura of the bottom half of her Shinobi attire, leaving her in just her underwear.

It wasn't the first time he had seen her underwear, having had her half naked back at her house, but since they had gotten interrupted then by that unfortunate alarm clock, this was the first time he had gotten to appreciate the sight before him. He was immensely pleased his Dojutsu allowed him to maintain the image of her in his memory, her long strong legs, her smooth body and her most private place covered just by a small piece of clothing were not something he wanted to ever forget.

There she was, mere inches under his body, bare for his eyes only. The worse part were her eyes, inviting him to explore her, to touch her like he wanted. He leaned in, taking her lips with a passion like never before, covering every part of her body with his own.

Feeling his chest rub against her sensitive nipples was the sweetest torture for Sakura, but feeling his now evident hardness grind against her was even worse. Heading down this road, she couldn't keep still. She wrapped her arms and legs around him, nearly fusing her body with her own. The feeling was incredible, him applying pressure to her more sensitive place, grinding in a steady pace, hard but not hard enough. She wouldn't last long if he continued like that.

The moans that were constantly escaping her were adding fuel to his inner flames, making his body burn. Lowering his hand, he suddenly slid them in her panties making her gasp as he touched her nub so intimately. The skin he was touching for the first time was so soft and wet, he groaned in her ear. He wanted to touch, to see, to feel every bit of her.

Removing his hand, he heard a small whining sound at the loss of contact, making him chuckle a bit at her eagerness. She mockingly glared at him, trying to rise so she could retort but he held her down with a smug grin and took off her underwear in a single fast move. She blushed.

Deciding to toy with her he lowered his mouth against her ear.

"Why are you blushing, Sa-ku-ra?" he asked cheekily, blowing small puffs of warm air on her oversensitive neck. He felt her tremble but got no reply. Lifting his head just a little, he saw her shutting her eyes tightly and biting her bottom lip hard, apparently refusing to give him any sort of reply. But he craved for that reply she refused to give.

He trailed her jaw with his lips and tongue, narrowly evading her mouth and hovering right above her face until she opened her eyes. The moment he saw her emerald irises, he coated his fingers in her juices and started rubbing her clit. She tilted her head back at the contact but still made no sound other than a sharp intake of breath. He would not have it. The more she resisted the harder his hand got, making her tremble all over, her legs closing around his hand as if to press his fingers closer. He lowered his lips to her ear again, biting her earlobe but keeping his eyes glued to her face for any change of expression.

"Don't bite your lip." Sasuke's tone commanded, so close to her ear she could feel vibrations from his voice. "I want to hear you." he whispered and at the same time he slid one finger in her hot cavern.

She gasped out loud. He added another finger, earning a moan. Stroking her most private place from the inside and out, the sounds and moves her body was making were enough to drive any man to madness. And she was only his. He could feel it. He could feel her tightness around his fingers, there to taunt his sanity with stimulating thoughts.

Pressing her nub with his thumb hard, he made her moan again. His face hovered above hers, taking her already bitten bottom lip between his teeth. He nipped on it softly while looking intensely in her eyes, right before he plunged his tongue into her mouth again.

Wanting to explore every part of her, he started inserting two of his fingers in faster inside her, as if mapping out the unfamiliar territory. At some point, he felt her body buckle as he curled his fingers upwards. _Was that…? _He repeated the move more firmly, making her moan out his name. _Yes, that was definitely it_. He had only heard about that spot inside a woman's body but seeing first hand its results was completely different.

Twisting his fingers again and again he felt her steadily tighten around his hand.

Sakura was in hell. Or in heaven. She couldn't tell. Being so close, tip toeing right at the edge of ecstasy was definitely hard to describe. She loved it. Having the man she wanted since childhood kissing and biting her neck as she had tilted her head back, thumbing her clit and fingering her was almost too much for her to handle. Her mind got hazy as she got nearer to the edge.

"Open your eyes." she heard him whisper right above her lips as he paused his movements. She managed to face him and open her eyes. There he was, above her, mesmerizing as always, his red and purple eyes instantly catching her attention. He hit her g-spot again. She let out a moan and shut her eyes tightly, making him stop again.

She whined at his stillness. Damn him, getting her so close and stopping right before her climax.

"Sakura. Look at me." she heard him whisper. She fought for control over her own body, opening her eyes again. She understood what he wanted. To see her come. Knowing his stubbornness, he most likely wouldn't let her come otherwise. It wasn't a problem though, because she wanted that too. She wanted him to see what he did to her, to show him. She nodded and gave him a peck on the lips.

He twirled his fingers again, and this time her gaze didn't falter. He did it again. And again. And again. Hearing her moans from such a close distance was somehow different, especially since she looked straight into his eyes.

Sasuke gave Sakura a soft peck on the lips. So soft that it didn't match the way his hand was moving. Quickly picking up the speed his fingers moved at, he watched as Sakura writhed because of his ministrations, not once breaking eye contact.

When she came she didn't make a sound, but even if she did he would swallow all of it because, as he felt her clench and unclench around his fingers, he plunged his tongue into her half open mouth. Watching her pupils dilate from ecstasy as she spasmed was something he enjoyed very deeply.

Sakura was in bliss and that made him excited like never before. Her pleasure was like his own. Out of curiosity, he licked his fingers, tasting her. He watched her closely as she trembled, never breaking eye contact, for as long as it took her to get off her high. Her body relaxed completely as she practically spilled over the floor.

"Sasuke-kun, I…"

He kissed her again, softly this time. The soft strokes of his tongue let her know what she already knew, that no words were needed between them. Just _this_, a simple brush of lips, was enough.

Sasuke laid down next to her, stroking stray strands of pink hair back in their place. It took Sakura a few moments to come about. She turned her whole body to the side, facing him, giving him an image that he wouldn't want to forget.

Tangling her fingers in his hair, she pulled him in, joining their lips once more. She was almost certain that he was trying to pull away, to keep his distance…and most likely for a silly chivalrous something or other. She was determined to not let him escape, to not let him drown in his thoughts that were possibly making him guilty over his supposedly unethical actions. She would show him that she was just as responsible, that she wanted this just as well. Preferably before his guilt took over.

Sakura tilted Sasuke's head to the side attacking his neck. He groaned and used his hand to keep her in a safe distance.

"Sakura stop."

"What? Why? Did I hurt you, Sasuke-kun?"

"No."

"Then why would I stop?" Sakura arched her eyebrow teasingly.

He almost groaned out loud. She was toying with him, teasing him on purpose. He was doing the best he could at controlling his inner hunger and she was intently throwing oil to the flames.

She pushed his hand away, forcing her way to his neck again, this time biting him a bit. He groaned audibly and Sakura didn't exactly know just when he had pushed her down on her back.

He stood right above her face, Sharingan spinning menacingly. He gazed into her eyes, looking for something in them. Apparently he found what he was looking for because in the next moment he pounced on her.

The kiss was anything but soft this time. It was a spark. It was fire. It was pure lust and need. Need that could only be fulfilled with her. Sakura. His woman.

Sakura returned the kiss with the same heat, engaging them in a battle for dominance. A battle he won as soon as his covered lower body came in full contact with hers, making her gasp in his mouth.

Grinding against her felt good. However, as he heard a breathless _Sasuke-kun please _escaping her soft lips, it suddenly became not enough. And he could tell from her pleading moans that she was thinking the same thing.

Before he could even move, he felt a pair of hands trying to tug down his pants but not making it far enough. Yes, she was definitely thinking the same thing. Having all the confirmation he needed, he pulled away, just far enough, to remove the few remains of his Shinobi attire.

Returning to his place over her body in mere moments, Sasuke couldn't possibly imagine just how different the sensation was now that they were both naked. Feeling her soft and hot and wet against his manhood was making him lightheaded. He figured Sakura enjoyed it just as much, because at the moment of skin on skin contact she gave a loud moan and dug her nails in his back.

Sasuke couldn't hold back anymore. Grinding against her wetness was too great a feeling. Too great a temptation. Looking into her viridian eyes for confirmation and seeing her nod lightly, he started easing his way in his partner.

If touching her had felt good, sliding inside her felt extraordinary to the former avenger. His head fell onto Sakura's chest as he began to pant. She was so tight against him, it made him want to gasp in pleasure. Just how was he going to last?

Lifting his head again to watch her expression he watched intently as her irises dilated. Slowly entering her, inch by glorious inch, he watched the lust in her expression intensify. Damn her beautiful eyes, they would surely be the death of him as he would do anything to see that glint in them again.

Sasuke groaned deeply as he was sheathed completely inside her. The feel of her constricting him hotly was…in lack for better word…amazing. He was cursing his stupidity for avoiding her for as long as he had. Fire was spreading across, over and under his skin at the soft little moans escaping her.

He was glad she must have lost her hymen in some training exercise most likely, he didn't want to hurt her anymore that he already had. He was using all of his self-control to not do as his body urged him to do, fearing that she would most likely be uncomfortable at the foreign intrusion. _Damn. Controlling the Tailed Beasts had been easier._

What he hadn't been expecting however was the little push Sakura gave. Moving her hips slightly she pulled him in even deeper. They both moaned in unison. Sasuke closed his eyes in concentration, softly pulling out and then slowly pushing back in.

Moving felt even better than before. Constantly reading her expression for anything that may displease her, the Uchiha steadied his pace to a slow but firm one, gradually picking up speed. Moving faster and faster in and out of her, Sasuke rejoiced at the moans that were constantly escaping her. The soft incantations of his name again and again against his ear sent chills up and down his spine.

She pulled his face down to hers, kissing him hard, making him pause for just a moment. It was all the time she needed to push her hips up against him, hard. He cursed in her mouth at the wild feeling.

He started going in faster and harder, making her bounce a bit on the floor every time he buried himself inside her. The pace he had set was great for a normal man, even extreme, but for a Shinobi it was nothing, so he sped up even more.

The pleasure Sakura was feeling was beyond her wildest dreams. Feeling the man of her dreams enter her constantly in a crazy fast speed was enormously satisfying. Watching his expression as he did it was even more. She was feeling her end approaching quickly.

She was close, he could feel it. The vibrations he was feeling around his member were a telltale sign. The only problem was, he was close as well. Wanting in no way to become undone before Sakura, Sasuke used his own hand and a Susano'o manifested one to grab her hips and lift her from the floor, he himself now standing on his knees.

Changing the angle he was entering her from, Sasuke was now able to get in deeper. Harder. The new position granted him the ability to stroke her most sensitive spot. After one, two, tree strong thrusts against her g-spot, Sakura came, moaning Sasuke's name throughout the cave.

Her orgasm quickly activated his own and after a few thrusts he came inside her with a deep groan. Having lost all of his strength and collapsing on top of her, Sasuke was breathing down on her throat, making goosebumps appear on her skin.

As Sakura's body relaxed from her intense climax, she lifted his head with one hand so their gazes could meet, the other softly wiping away a small drop of sweat forming on his brow. She smiled brightly at him and he returned a small upturn of lips. It was enough.

Sasuke untangled himself and laid down next to Sakura, their hands barely touching.

Sakura crawled over to him, laying her head on his chest, trying to cuddle.

"Tch. Annoying." he teased her.

Sakura pulled away, abandoning her attempt at contact and turned the other way, facing the flicker of the flames. Sasuke hated excess contact, that was a fact. She had just hoped that after such an intimate experience he would allow a move of comfort. She had been wrong. He had sent her away, specifically with the words that had haunted her childhood.

She trembled as she felt the cold of the cave floor seeping slowly into her. But before she could reach for the blanket next to her, she crashed hard with a source of heat. He had grabbed her body and 'd pulled her against him, entrapping her with his hand and threw a blanket over their naked bodies.

She looked up but before she could voice her puzzlement, Sakura felt a pair of lips on her forehead.

Any and all questions lost their importance in that moment, all that mattered was the feel of her man against her body, the feel of his heart beating against her chest. Sakura was happy that, even though he was finding trouble with admitting it, Sasuke did desire her affections. It was oddly charming really, watching him figure out what he wanted.

"Sakura."

"Ne, Sasuke-kun?"

Sasuke took a deep breath.

"Thank you." he whispered against her pink locks.

Sakura chuckled. "For what?"

It took some time to figure out what to say. _For not forgetting about me. For joining me on my journey. For helping me. For guiding me. For loving me. For forgiving me._

"For not giving up on me."

Sakura replied nothing, only nuzzled closer to his chest. There was no need for an answer really. Of course she wouldn't give up on him. Of course she wouldn't lose hope. Of course she would stay by his side.

A smile grazed her lips as sleep claimed her in his arms. Watching her sleep soundly, Sasuke didn't know what he had done to deserve her, but he would do his best to keep her. Sleep overtook him with his woman in his arms.

**Well? What do you think?**

**I know it's been a while but I sincerely hope I haven't lost my touch. God knows I was so nervous about uploading this chapter. **

**Anyway…please let me know what you liked, what you disliked, stuff like that…**

**See ya next timeee!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Helloooo dear readers! **

**God I hope there is anyone left after that long wait…**

**I apologize for not updating sooner, you know how it is, life just keeps getting in the way… and when you make the time, inspiration just won't come… **

**Also, for those of you that don't know yet, there is a new Naruto novel called Sasuke Retsuden, which has major Sasusaku moments. Seriously you need to read it, it has been translated by a fellow fangirl in wattpad. It was so awesome it had me fangirling for a week at least. If you haven't already read it, I definitely recommend it!**

**In any case, here is chapter 11, long overdue, but I sincerely hope you like it… if you do please let me know, or, even if you don't, please let me know of what it was that you didn't enjoy…**

**Here we go…**

Chapter 11

The soft dripping sound of the rain outside of the cave was the first thing Sakura registered as she gradually abandoned the realm of dreams. Opening her eyes however, she wondered if she had actually woken up, whether the image around her was not a dream.

It certainly felt like a dream. Almost too good to be part of the actual world. Too good to be a part of her life. And yet, as she softly trailed a path up and down his torso with her fingers, this_ dream _felt more and more real.

Her dream was lying there next to her, sleeping peacefully. Her dream had let her join him on his journey. Her dream was now one with her.

Her dream was coming true.

Tracing the prominent lines of his lean body, she was getting increasingly mesmerized by him. By the man next to her, or under her, if she was being technical. By his calm face while he was still asleep, a face that reminded her of him, many years back. Back when he had been a child, cheerfully waiting his brother to pick him up from school.

She wondered what he was dreaming about. Could it be the same dream she had? Though it wasn't a dream exactly, a memory was more precise. The memory of them kissing each other, touching each other, joining together. A shiver ran up her body and she worried it might wake him up.

Her slender hand followed the patterns of his face, treading lightly so he wouldn't wake. He didn't stir. Sakura continued down his neck, down his free arm, pausing there for a bit before returning to the plains of his chest once again.

Those invisible little designs she was touching all over his skin had her so focused she didn't even notice he had opened one eye, gazing at her with curiosity. The small patterns changed from long lines, to spirals, to intricate geometrical shapes, and yet her concentration never faded.

She only escaped her trance when his body trembled lightly as she touched a rather daring trail down his abdomen. Her head snapped up to see if she made a mistake and woke him up, only to find his eyes wide shut and him breathing evenly in and out. '_Still asleep then_.'

Apparently going further down was too risky so she turned her attention back to his torso, tracing right over where his heart was. The slow _thud thud _of it beating proved to her once more that this was indeed not a dream. It wasn't a manifestation of her longing. Not anymore. It was part of her future.

A future she hoped was as bright and happy, as she felt in that moment.

His hand grabbed hers so fast she didn't have time to react. He turned his head to face her, eyes bright and clear. His eyebrow had a teasing turn, even though his voice betrayed nothing.

"Taking advantage of the unconscious man, huh, Sa-ku-ra?"

Her face blazed red. "Sasuke-kun!" she squeaked. "It's n-not like that, S- Sasuke-kun. I just… " she looked down, morbidly embarrassed, even though she could tell he was teasing. Still, she _was_ touching him while he was sleeping.

The crimson stuttering mess of his partner, who was now trying her best to hide her face, made him chuckle. It was fun playing around with her, he always enjoyed the different shades of red her cheeks turned into, with the right provocation. And he was fairly certain she knew he was teasing her, but in spite of that, she still searched for shelter from his eyes. And that shelter just happened to be his neck.

Her breath against his sensitive throat didn't do well with maintaining his concentration. Especially with the fresh memories of the night before flooding through his mind. Or the fact that Sakura's naked body was pressed against his own, warming him under the blanket they shared.

He couldn't win. He couldn't escape this feeling. He was playing in a rigged game, with all the odds stacked against him. And as familiar lips kissed the spot under his ear, he didn't particularly care that he had lost. Losing certainly didn't feel so bad after all.

Sasuke leaned down to press a tender kiss to the top of her head, effectively signaling her to lift her head.

Sakura looked up to meet his gaze, the raging blush now reduced to a faint pink glow adorning her features.

"Morning." He whispered. There was no need for anything louder because of their very close proximity. Sasuke could feel her uneven breaths on his face.

"Good morning Sasuke-kun. Did you have a good night's sleep?" she asked sweetly.

"Ah." He replied. Seeing her face fall, most likely for hoping something more elaborate, he quickly added "The best." She beamed.

"Mine too." She responded and kissed the side of his neck, making him groan.

"Not as good as this morning's going to be if you keep doing that." he warned, but his tone didn't show any sign of desire to stop her. She bit the sensitive skin as an act of defiance to his words. He hissed.

"Then I should stop." Sakura breathed sweetly in his ear, teasing him like she knew he enjoyed.

A feral grunt escaped him before he flipped them around so his prey was trapped underneath his strong body. And what a pray it was, as feisty as they come.

"Don't you dare." he threatened before attacking her in the most delicious way possible.

Those moments spent with Sasuke on the floor of the cave were some of the best in Sakura's life, if not the very best. It felt like pure electric sparks between them. It felt like magic. It felt like she would never get enough. In those moments, there was no doubt about it, they were meant to be together.

They were made for each other, for they fit together like puzzle pieces, lone for so long until they found their other half. And now that they had found one another, nothing stopped them from being together, from joining together for as long as they wanted to. Not a moment seem to pass where their bodies didn't long for each other, their touches –some innocent, some not so much- ever evident in their haze.

In the next few hours, the dripping sound of the downpour outside the cave gradually slowed down to a small drizzling. Neither of them noticed however, too engrossed in each other.

When they _did _notice, the rain was completely gone and a few stray beams of sunshine infiltrated their secluded haven. She knew what this would mean. The sun felt like an alarm clock to her, one she had been hoping they ignored. But she knew they couldn't. They had to move. They had to reach the village they were looking for before another storm occurred.

She could tell those thoughts had entered his mind, but if he wouldn't voice them, she would. She didn't like the idea of delaying him, his progress, no matter how wonderful the "_delay_" was. He had his redemption to think about, she refused to be the anchor to drag him down.

And after that morning they would both be walking slower than their normal pace due to exhaustion.

Besides, they had found each other now. They had explored just how deep their bond went. It wasn't like they would part after this. They would still be together. They would still have "delays" like this one, she hoped.

No, she didn't hope, she knew. She knew that no matter what they would find their way to each other. Always.

So after all this confirmation, why was it so hard for her to physically detach herself? Why was it so hard to pull away? She knew she should, it was the right thing to do, but did she have too?

Her mate showed no inclination to stop either, still making her body feel like it was burning, lighting a fire on her skin. He didn't want to part either. But that little part in her head, that proper little duty loving part-a part she hated right now- told her what was the right thing to do.

"Sasuke-kun?"

She waited for his undivided attention. She almost whined because apparently she had stolen the attention he was paying somewhere else and now she was regretting it.

"The rain has stopped. Do you think we should get back on track?"

His head dropped down on her neck, exasperation evident by the move. He knew she was right. He knew she was willing to stop _for him._

Sakura run her hand up and down his toned back as an act of consolation, but as she felt him pulse and twitch inside her, sympathy was the last thing on her mind. He groaned as he felt her quiver around him.

The idea was clear to both of them. They had to leave the cave, they had to go. But they would sate their seemingly never ending hunger for each other first.

They would make this last time count, and then they would be on their merry way.

Sasuke kissed her deeply, a kiss so raw, so hard, so great, it made her toes curl in the process.

Her hands suddenly became territorial, marking their place on his back with little red crescent moons. He hissed at the sting of her nails, pulled out and slammed inside her. She gasped at the feeling.

He continued his ferocious pace until she could do nothing but moan hotly in his ear.

Her end didn't delay to come. With a long moan that ricocheted over the walls of the cave, she melted in his arms one last time. '_For now'_, she told herself.

The force of her orgasm pushed him over the edge as well.

By that moment be had noticed some details on his partner as she was nearing her limit. The little bite she gave her lower lip, the trembling in her fingers, the small whimper that escaped her right before moaning his name. All of those tiny details were now drilled in his memory, crucial parts for his future. And yet, even with all those observations from their times before, her every climax seemed to catch his body completely by surprise, pulling him with it to ecstasy.

Them getting dressed was a silent ordeal, both of them not liking it, but both knowing it needed to be done.

They would have their time, a time of no obstacles, no interruptions, no distance, at some point. That much was clear. They would be together on more than this _on the road_ life.

They would return to Konohagakure one day, and they would be together. The way they wanted to. The way they, after all those hardships, deserved.

Alas that time was still quite a distant future. But as he stepped out of that cave with her, he promised silently to himself that he would make that possible future a reality.

The sun seemed to glitter on the stray water drops scattered all around them as they exited the cave. It looked like nature was finally waking up after the long storm, though it was briefer than what she expected. All traces of grey clouds now long gone, gave their way to endless blue skies.

Everything around them radiated with light. With life. But not as much as Sakura did in his eyes. He eyed the kunoichi, her viridian eyes gleaming in the light. Her soft skin iridescent as sunbeams touched it. She looked like an angel in his eyes. The light to pull him out of his once chosen darkness.

He wondered if he could ever lay his eyes on her and not marvel at the sight of her. She was his salvation and his damnation if need be. Cause he be damned if he let anything harm her.

Thoughts like that crossed his mind every time he caught her in his field of vision. And after the night –and the morning- they had, more thoughts erupted behind his eyelids. Thoughts that didn't fit the image of his pure angel, the image his mind used to give him.

Instead sinful memories of her flushed his head. And not only memories, but thoughts of more things he wished. He told himself not to wish for such things. A man like himself, a dark being, a monster, didn't deserve a fair creature such as her.

And yet, he got her. And he would hold on to her for as long as she let him.

His arm tingled when she touched his hand, spreading all over his body, making him feel as if lightning was hiding under his skin, begging to get out, to break free. He wondered if he could ever get used to the feel of her hands.

"Isn't it beautiful, Sasuke-kun?" Sakura asked, gesturing to the gleaming flora surrounding them.

He turned to meet her gaze. "Ah."

Eye contact proved too much for his companion, a prominent blush now covering her face. No words were needed between them. They were on the same path at last, walking together to whatever their future held.

The gentle squeeze she felt on her palm confirmed that he agreed with what her eyes were saying.

After a moment too long Sasuke turned to the small path in front of them. After another soft squeeze he let go of her hand and led their way through the woods, confident she was right behind him.

Their journey proved monotonous compared to their intense morning. The vegetation all around them seemed to blend together in big lumps of light and dark green at the speed they were running. The more they traveled to the center of the mountain, instead of the edges, more and more greenery seemed to appear.

He had said it would take them about two day's travel to reach their destination, but at the speed of their approach, she doubted it. Then again she didn't know where that particular village was placed.

The sun was beginning to set as they stopped for the night. Once again their typical pattern appeared as he set off for the woods, Sharingan already in place searching for pray. Which left her to make their campsite and collect wood for the fire.

Any trace of rain had long ago vanished, the ground warm and dry by the last of the sun's rays. It was indeed unusually warm if one considered the magnitude of the storm only some hours back. Part of her felt sullen because of the lack of cold, the lack of the excuse to stay in his arms through the night.

But did she need an excuse anymore? After last night, was it necessary between them? She doubted it. He seemed to enjoy her warmth almost as much as she enjoyed his, so she guessed he'd have no problems with it. She set their sleeping mats right next to each other, making her thoughts clear.

Upon his return, he paid no mind to them, nothing seemed out of its right place. Instead he sat down next to her and they prepared the food for the fire he had already lit with a spark of his chakra.

Things rolled easily from then on, just like on their entire journey. They ate next to each other and, as the time passed and night came, they lay side by side, tangled in each other's arms and held each other close. They were on open grounds, it wasn't like what happened that morning in the cave could happen under these circumstances, so they made up for it the next best way.

Sakura felt like she was floating in a dream,, though her dream wasn't soft and breezy, it was warm like a flame and hard lined with lean but strong muscle. Lying against his body felt better than any bed would, she had long ago figured that out, back in their Konoha days.

Yet something now was different from back then. She had felt that body up close, over her, under her, inside her. She felt like she knew every part of it. Of him. Her fingers twitched on his chest, itching to explore, but she knew she shouldn't. She snuggled closer and dreams claimed her.

Dreams of a man, many years from now. A home. A family.

The morning found him with a breeze against his neck, where her head had been the entire night. He almost huffed at the lack of contact, for Sakura was nowhere to be seen.

A brief flash of panic momentarily made its way into his head. What if something had happened to her? Taken against her will or something? But it vanished into oblivion when he noticed a clean pile of plums next to him with a small note on top.

_Gone to the river to bathe. Be back soon. _

_\- S_

Blankness returned to his features as his unjustified worries ceased. But a different set of thoughts entered his brain. With a groan he couldn't contain, he got up, plums left forgotten, and –after setting a few traps guarding their stuff – he rushed to join her.

Finding the river wouldn't be hard, the running water was audible from their campsite. Feeling chakra pour in to his right eye, turning it from ebony to crimson with three spiral tomoes, he searched for said river.

It didn't turn out to be far, a few minutes and he was there, observing from the coast. And it wasn't actually a river, but apparently a small lake under a waterfall. The scenery was mesmerizing, who knew such a haven could exist so deep in the mountains, hidden from the world. Yet the sight of the girl in the river did more for him than any landscape could.

He was certain she hadn't heard him, but was sure she knew he was there. He didn't bother hiding his chakra. She could feel his presence, just as he could feel hers.

She was standing waist deep in the water, her back to him, slowly washing running her fingers up and down her arms. He could clearly tell the outline of her body, even without the help of the Sharingan. When she looked over her shoulder, eyes immediately connecting with his, and gave him a smug smirk, his breath caught in his throat. Not that he would ever admit that.

She was playing with him. She knew what he would do the moment he woke up. She knew he was observing her. She most likely knew what he would do next. So there was no need delaying it.

He would make up for that playful smirk with a game of his own.

By the place of the sun he deduced it was about 8 am to 9 am. He had time. Not as much as he would like but enough.

After placing a simple genjutsu, he took his time taking his clothes off. If he rushed, it would be like admitting he was played. Not that he minded her game, it was just a small retaliation, a sign he still had some sort of control. He didn't have any.

As he entered the cold waters, he focused on his chakra making it warm, similar to a hot spring. Steam surrounded them as he approached Sakura, who was still facing away. He came to stand right behind her.

"What took you so long?" she asked in a sweet tone, leaning her head back on his broad chest.

He pulled her body flush against his, tracing her neck with his lips, answering nothing. His hand travelled up her side and caressed her breasts in a way that made her knees buckle. Feeling emboldened by her reaction, he spun her around fast, joining his lips with his in a passionate and teasing kiss.

After returning to their camp, washed, dressed and sated with each other, they collected their things and went off again. They had lost some time, time that could be used in reaching their destination sooner, but he didn't mind in the slightest.

Their day after the lake was filled with travelling. It was the final part of the way and it was practically vertical climbing up the mountain. Thank Kami for their Shinobi training and the ability to use chakra to walk literally up a cliff, taught by the current Hokage, otherwise it would take them days going around the mountain. Vegetation lessened the higher they got, giving no shade on their path, making Sasuke annoyed. He disliked too muck sunlight.

Around noon they made a break to eat. Cooking proved especially tricky where they were, so they made do with the plums Sakura had collected earlier that day and other supplies they were already carrying. After eating they got back on their way.

Travelling throughout the evening up the mountain, in between cliffs and rocks, was considerably easier for the pair. Just because the terrain was so abnormal, changing from one step to the next, they couldn't run anywhere near full speed. To Sakura it felt like a stroll up the mountain.

After hours of walking in completely barren and rocky earth, they made a stop to eat dinner.

With no mountain ledge to camp for the night, not even a cave they could camp into, they decided to walk all through the night and rest once they reached the village, with the light of the moon and the occasional fireball to light their path.

It was no problem for trained ninjas, usually having weekly missions where the free hours for sleep were scarce. They were both used to it, Sasuke with his stubbornly long travelling routes and Sakura with the long shifts at the hospital.

Travelling under the starry sky was magnificent in Sakura's eyes. They were up so high, she felt like she was swimming among the stars. Sasuke gazed at the smile that wouldn't leave her face. She looked beautiful like that, with the stars reflecting in her wide eyes. Sasuke fought the urge to kiss her.

In their slow pace, hour gave way to hour and night slowly gave her place to dawn. The sun was just starting to appear as they reached the village. It was surrounded by walls and its big gate was closed shut.

Sakura didn't worry, why would the gate be open at this hour? No one was awake to guard it, let alone to travel. It needn't be opened so it wasn't, that was the explanation she gave herself.

Sasuke knew better. He had been to the small village before, a village whose main resource was agriculture. That meant villagers would be up and working long before sunrise. Seeing its gate close, hearing no life from within was… odd.

The pair had no trouble opening the gate. A little chakra induced push and it creaked open.

Everything seemed quiet at first, just like a village still fast asleep. But the eerie feeling was now deep in both their guts. Something was wrong. Something was very wrong.

And it didn't take them long to find out what.

**Weeeeeeeell? What did you think?**

**This is my first cliffhanger, not gonna lie, I feel proud for it, I think it turned out good. At least I hope so…**

**Please review folks, let me know whether you liked it or not, it really brightens my day when I get a review. **

**Anyway…bye bye, see ya next chapter!**


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